


Gravity Falls: Emersus

by AspiringArmstrong



Series: Gravity Falls: Reboot [3]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: F/M, Gravity Falls: Reboot AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-20
Updated: 2015-07-03
Packaged: 2018-04-05 07:27:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 77,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4171152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AspiringArmstrong/pseuds/AspiringArmstrong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set 20 years after Invictus. </p><p>Dipper and Pacifica are now married and living in Northwest Manor. Mabel is taking care of her brother Tyrone after an accident left him catatonic and Billeah is nowhere to be found. </p><p>Rick Imperum's forces are on the move and slowly trying to take down the empire Dipper has built to shield the world from Rick</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Interview

_**February 25, 2035** _

“Mr. Pines… thank you for taking the time to sit with me.” Shandra Jimenez said. She adjusted in her seat and smiled to the camera. A big sign behind her said “Straight talk with Jimenez”

“You’re welcome, Shandra.” Dipper said with a smile. “It’s always nice to see a familiar face.”

“Yes, we’re very interested to hear your story! You’ve been something of a mystery to us. Coming from humble origins only to become a leader of industry and technology, and even marrying Pacifica Northwest who is practically American royalty!” Shandra said with a grin.

“It’s not as crazy as it sounds. I’ve known Pacifica since we were kids… I really owe my success to her. She saw something in me and made sure I made something of myself.” Dipper said. He waved to the audience and the camera panned to Pacifica. She smiled and waved, and the camera came back to Dipper.

“So… we’ve heard _crazy_ stories about your youth…” Shandra said with a grin.

“I think you were the one who broke the story nationally when I was on trial for a misdemeanor during your local news days in Gravity Falls, Oregon.” Dipper said. Shandra’s plastic smile cracked slightly.

“I’ve interviewed some of the residents of Gravity Falls, your hometown, and they had some interesting things to say about you.” Shandra said.

“I’m sure you didn’t have to dig too deep, You covered most of my exploits on the local station.” Dipper said with a wink.

“Ah-hem.” Shandra feigned clearing her throat.

“Basicly, I was a local sleuth for the town… It was more of a debunking mindset than anything. I did discover and document an unknown species of bat. I have found several new species of mycelium and plant, and even helped locate and direct clean up efforts to an abandoned and forgotten government facility. The toxins were leaking into the water supply, causing the town to suffer one of the longest cases of mass hysteria and hallucination ever documented.”

“Well. I know the people of Gravity Falls must be pleased with you for all your hard work.” Shandra said. “Can you tell me what you’re plans are for the future?”

“Well, After Pines Consolidated merged with Northwest Industries… and I don’t mean our wedding.” Dipper said with a grin. “We’ve rebranded ourselves to be Northwest-Pines. We found this rebranding tested well and fits our company’s mission.”

“And what’s that?” Shandra said.

“Well, Like the pine trees that cover our state, we would like our company to be a household name. All of our products are green and eco-friendly, and we’ve taken a hard stance with our globalization efforts to help revitalize the countries we’ve planted our trees in… sorry, that’s a company term. What I mean is the plants, offices, and other business ventures we establish outside our borders will focus on bringing higher paying jobs to the workers. It’s like planting a tree, you need to tend to it and watch it grow.”

“What about Cube Consolidated?” Shandra asked. “In the last five years, this small startup exploded onto the scene, led by none other than your father in law. They seem to be nipping at your heels in many of your dealings.”

“Mr. Northwest has my deepest respect. He took the time to teach me what he knows and I’ve worked with him since I was 14. He taught me everything about this business and I’d not be the man I am today without his guidance and wisdom.” Dipper said with a smile. “We’ve had a difference of opinion on how to run Northwest-Pines Industry. His direction and mine split ways, so I bought him out. Pacifica took the reigns as the CEO while I focused on the technology.” Dipper chuckled. “If you’ve ever been in a negotiation with me… I’m a lamb when it comes to staring her down.”

The audience chuckled.

“So… We’ve heard rumors of a secret project you’re working on… what could you tell us about that?” Shandra said.

“Well, It’s not all that special… You, as a fellow Gravity Falls native, know how special the community is. The Northwests have made it their home for generations, and as part of that family, I plan to revitalize the community. I’m in the process of establishing a wildlife sanctuary in the forest around the town. This will prevent urban sprawl and deforestation from destroying a very delicate ecosystem that I wish to protect.”

“Well, our time is almost up… is there anything else you’d like to add?” Shandra said.

“Yes, I just wanted to say to my sister that I love her, and hope to see her soon!” Dipper said into the camera.

“What a load of crap!” Mabel screamed and shut off the TV.

“HEY! I was watching that!” Stan yelled.

“Bla bla bla.. I’m so perfect… I live in a big house… I’m going to save the trees… Why don’t he just dig up Doctor Seuss and give him a big kiss!” Mabel said and threw the remote to her Uncle. It slammed into his chest and bounced off, landing on the floor. He looked down at it, and then to her. She let out a sigh, stormed over to pick it up and dropped it in his lap..

“I’d get up and get it myself…” Stan said, and pointed to his wheelchair. “But I’m kinda stuck in this damned thing.”

“I’m making dinner. What do want?” Mabel shouted from the kitchen.

“I want my great niece to calm down is what I want!” Stan said. He pushed the lever and wheeled himself out of the living room.

“I can’t! Every time I see him… I just get so… I know it’s been a long time since Tyrone’s accident… but I just… can’t let it go.” Mabel said as she slammed the cupboard. She microwaved some chicken soup and grabbed toast as it popped out of the toaster. “And when I think I’m past it… I see his face on the newspaper, or find out he’s giving a speech and all I can feel is loathing. He’s off saving everyone in the world… and I’m here.”

“Saving two old men and a catatonic brother.” Stan said. “I understand, but you’ve turned down everything he’s offered. We could be living up at the mansion right now, Tyrone could have the best care money could buy. You’ve built your own prison and the only guard you can complain to is yourself. He’s been nothing but nice and has tried to help you so many times...”

“I KNOW THAT!” Mabel screamed. She stabbed the butter knife into the stick of soft margarine and raked it across the toast. “I know that… That’s why it’s so frustrating. He’s always nice… he smiles, and wishes me well. He’s kind, and loving and does everything a good brother should do.”

“What do you want from him?” Stan asked.

“To be HERE! So I can watch _him_ struggle with Tyrone to get him into bed. So I can see his face having to feed Grandpa. To have him worry every night if his brother is breathing ok, and I want the panic to grip his chest when you don’t see him for an hour… or heaven forbid go out to a movie and wonder the whole time if he’s going to be dead when you get back, because… stealing away a moment of my life for myself is selfish, and he’s selfish!”

Stan didn’t say a word as Mabel set the soup and bread on a tv tray. “I need to go check on Grandpa…” Mabel said and stormed upstairs.

Stan closed his eyes and sighed. He’d felt it an hour ago… but he couldn’t tell her. He grabbed the phone and called Dipper just as he heard the sound of dishes breaking from up stairs.

* * *

Dipper hung up the phone and closed his eyes.

“Everything alright?” Pacifica said. She took off her earrings and set them in her jewelry box.

“I… I need to clear my calendar next week.” Dipper said. Pacifica nodded and walk over to him and wrapped her arms around him.

“We knew it was going to be soon.” She said softly.

“I tried to prepare myself… it’s just still hard.” Dipper said. Pacifica laid him in bed and rubbed his temples as he buried his face in her chest. She shushed him as he broke down his walls. She was his sanctuary, and only person in the world he can be like this with.

“My strong Dipper… I’ve known Stanford most of my life, and he lived a good one. You’ve seen to that. He was happy, and was with his brother and your sister, surrounded with love.”

“I just… should have been there.” Dipper said. “He should have been in the hospital, he should have had more done to help him.”

“He was almost a hundred years old, DIpper. Yes modern medicine is doing wonders… but he lived a full life. It’s time to pass the torch.” Pacifica said.

“It’s just… It means Stan is not too far behind.” Dipper said softly. “He’s not going to want to be alone… and Tyrone is surviving by some miracle, but a fever or infection… She’s going to be all alone.”

“She won’t be, even if she doesn’t like it, you’re there protecting her.” Pacifica said. “Did you know Stanford’s wishes?”

Dipper nodded and grinned.

“Oh god… I don’t want to know do I?” Pacifica said in horror

Dipper shook his head.

“Lets just say it’s totally Grunkle Stan.”

* * *

“I’m not going to work here looking at that… I love Stanford, but to have him stare at me… and to come alive once a month? Dipper, we’ve done some weird crap in this shack… but this is too much.” Wendy said.

“It’s what he wanted.” Dipper said.

“How did you even _find_ that thing? He buried it somewhere on the property when we were kids!” Mabel said. “I swear it’s looking at me.”

“I dunno, I think I like it… it’s really him.” Soos said.

“Soos… I love you, but I think I’m going to have nightmares.” Melody said.

“Guys… we all know Grunkle Stan… He took us in and loved each one of us. His last wish was to be able to greet the tourists of the shack as they come in.

Soos, Wendy, Mabel, Pacifica, and Dipper stood in front of the old wax figure Mabel made of him when she was twelve. Wendy had found Larry King’s head in the vent and Mable reshaped him to the Stan she knew and loved and melted his ashes inside.

“Just… triple check the locks before you leave at night Wendy? We don’t want him getting out.” Dipper said. Wendy nodded.

“He is really creepy.” Melody said. “Soos honey, I’ll be in the car. I’m going to try and forget what I saw here.”

“But honey! Can we wait till midnight and then we can talk to him!” Soos said, following behind her.

Pacifica leaned against the front counter and twirled a display of key-chains.

“What are you laughing about?” Wendy said, and took her position behind the register.

“Oh… it’s just we haven’t all been together like this for a while. It was kind of nice.” She said. “How’s Lee?’

“He’s doing good. At home with the kids.” Wendy chuckled. 

“That must be nice to have a family.” Pacifica said and looked sideways at Dipper. Dipper walked over and leaned on the counter.

“I’m ready when you are.” Dipper said. Pacifica’s face turned red and Wendy burst out laughing.

“Oh boy, you’re timing is always perfect.” Wendy said.

“So… how’s business?” Dipper asked.

“You’re losing so much money here… I’m probably the highest paid slacker in this town.” Wendy said with a grin.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Dipper said with a smile.

“So, I saw your interview the other night. I couldn’t stop laughing.” Wendy said. “Seriously everyone’s buying that government lab toxin thing?”

“People want to believe what they want. Just like when I tried to bring a monster into the shack and show the folks, they said it was fake.”

“Dipper.” Mabel said. Her arms were crossed and was tapping her foot. “Do I need to make an appointment to talk to you?”

Pacifica sighed and Wendy shot her an icy glare. Dipper walked over and put his arms around Mabel. She stood there, and didn’t move. When he let go she glared at him.

“I can’t believe I’m going to ask you this… but we need to get some handicap ramps installed in the shack. I don’t have the time to get that done, so you’re going to have to. Stan wants to be able to come in and see Grandpa. And pave that damn driveway! The gravel keeps getting into the wheels.”

“We just had a sidewalk put in last year from the house to the shack… that’s not working?” Dipper asked.

“IF it was, I wouldn’t be asking you this would I?” Mabel said.

“I’ll get a contractor out here in the morning, just tell him what you want and he’ll do it.” Dipper said.

“Sure… I’ll try to find the time.’ Mabel snapped.

“If you want me to do it I can, it’s just, I want to be sure it’s what you need.” Dipper said.

“Fine… I get it. Send over one of your minions, I’ll play princess and order him around. Just get it done. I’m going to have to muscle Stan in tonight so he can be here when that thing wakes up.” Mabel said

“Anything you need.” Dipper said.

* * *

“I love your sister… but I swear every time we see her I want to throttle some sense into her!” Pacifica shouted. “Oh… she pissed me off!”

“I don’t ever expect her to forgive me.” Dipper said. “I took her brother away from her.”

“You… Don’t you start feeling self loathing. That whole situation was messed up to begin with. You did what you thought you had to and don’t think I didn’t forget how quickly Wendy bolted.”

“I meant what I said.” Dipper said with a grin.

“What’s that?” Pacifica said, checking her phone.

“About what you and Wendy were talking about. I’ve been thinking about it a lot actually.” He said. He waited for her to say something, but she remained quiet. “Pacifica?”

“There’s a hotel at the next exit.”

* * *

Dipper woke up and checked his clock. It was 3am. Pacifica slept next to him soundly with her arm over his chest. After all these years, she still never wanted to let him go. He rolled over and kissed her forehead and slid out from her.

“It’s too late… must you go?” She said. “You know... most wives will kill their husbands for sneaking out of bed and running to another woman.”

“I just want to run some tests. The labs in Tokyo may have some of the bugs fixed.” Dipper said and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“I’ll come down if I can’t go back to sleep. I have a meeting in the morning.” She said sleepily.

Dipper put on a robe and left the master bedroom.

He walked the halls of Northwest Manor and looked at the large paintings and murals. After flatly drawing a line in the sand when Mr. Northwest startup Cube Consolidated, Dipper made his move and took the house. Mr. Northwest had it listed as a company property, and as a historic site. The Northwests have been claiming it as a tax write off for years. When Dipper took his company, the house fell under assets he managed. He sold it to himself, and got the deed in his and Pacifica’s name. She stared down her father when she kicked him out of his own home.

Dipper had warned Mr. Northwest many times over the years, but he never listened. His family fell apart when his wife left him. Pacifica resented everything he stood for and took an almost perverse pleasure ‘redecorating’ his trophy room and other places she was told never to go.

Dipper found the painting that covered the room Pacifica and he fled to when they were younger. He put his hand on a pad that was hidden under a panel, and a laser scanned his bio-print. The painting slid back to reveal an elevator.

Dipper stepped in and the painting closed behind him.

* * *

“Stan?” Mabel said. She walked into the Library to find him writing in a dusty leather book. He quickly shut the book and turned to smile at her.

“What’cha doing?” She asked.

“Just… collecting my thoughts.” Stan said.

“Tyrone is in bed. I’m going to watch a movie with Candy… you want to join us?” Mabel said.

“Nah,  you two have fun.” Stan said and went back to his journal.

Mabel walked to the TV room and flopped down on the couch. Candy covered her with a quilt they worked on together.

“You seem mad.” Candy said.

“I just saw Dipper today, we… Well, you know grandpa died and we entombed his ashes… I guess is the delicate way to put it.” Mabel said.

“Poor Mabel.” Candy said. “Hey, I found some Smile-Dip online! Want to eat some while we watch rom-coms?”

“Normally, yes, but right now I’m just not in the mood.” Mabel said, flipping the channels. Candy grinned and Mabel felt her foot rub her leg. “Candy! Stan’s still awake.”

“So?” She said and laid on Mabel “I don’t want to watch TV.”

Mabel smiled and looked down at Candy. She’d have such a hard time over the years with boyfriends. No one understood her, and with her time devoted to Tyrone, most of her relationships felt jealous she spent so much time with her brother, and never understood he came first in her life. Candy had understood for years, and after a crazy night involving sock puppets, Mabel juice and Smile-Dip; she found someone who accepted who she was and loved her unconditionally.

“Smile-Dip?” Candy said, and shook the bag. Mabel grinned and kissed her forehead. “Lets make some Mabel juice to go with it.”     


	2. Fire

**_April 27, 2035_ **

Stan quietly sat in the library, scribbling in a notebook. He closed the book he wrote in and wheeled it to a large safe, placed the books inside, and locked it.

“Stan…” said a disembodied voice. “What are you up to?”

“Ha… being an all knowing mouth really doesn’t work out to well doesn’t it?” Stan said and wheeled out of the library.

“It’s inconsequential; I just find your activities… suspicious.” Rick said. A square had appeared in the wall with an unconcerned grin. Stan wheeled by it without giving it a second look.

“That’s one thing Bill had right, he observed silently and occasionally meddled. You don’t really pay attention.” Stan said with a chuckle.  

“Would you care to elaborate?” Rick asked.

“No.” Stan said and got a beer from the fridge.

“You know, whatever you’re planning is futile. You’re brother’s gone now, your great niece is trapped in a prison of her own making, and Dipper’s too focused on his company to be an issue. He doesn’t even remember our encounter. Bill never made it out of his insane escape attempt and is catatonic wherever he landed. Whatever remains of his circle will soon succumb to the ravages of time, and there will be nothing left to stop me.”  Rick said.

“Can it… Square. Save the silver tongue for someone who cares.” Stan said, and spat a mouthful of beer at the grinning square. The carving disappeared from the wall. 

“Gotta keep him off balance for just a little longer…” Stan said to himself.

* * *

Pacifica walked the halls of her home. It felt so empty, something her and Dipper had talked about but never seemed to find the time to change that. She smiled to herself. Was she really going to go down the path of motherhood? The thought terrified her, but it felt right at the same time.

She thought about calling out Dipper’s name, but she knew where he was. She always knew what he was thinking. She always knew he was the one. Her first real memory of him was finding out her family secret and throwing it in her face as they left the pioneer day festival. The fuss her family made over it was legendary. Any boy who could cause so much disruption to her family in just one day was someone special. Her family’s conditioning just stamped it out. She knew how cruel of a person she was, and it always made her feel terrible about herself, but a Northwest must never show fear or sadness… it’s not the Northwest way.

She stared down her own father as she took everything away from him. She hoped he enjoyed being on that side of a Northwest’s wrath.

Pacifica turned the corner and stared at the familiar painting. She loved that Dipper installed his secret here. This is where she made her change, and he was the one who saw the real Pacifica for the first time in her life.

She placed her hand on the console, the bio-scan registered her and the painting slid away to reveal the elevator. She got in and the doors shut.

Pacifica always chided Dipper about his cubby holes and secret places. It’s one of the things he’d never lost, even as an adult. The sense of wonder with the world. She looked at Gravity Falls as a podunk town filled with trees and stupid people while Dipper saw a new family and inevitable adventure.

The doors opened up and she stepped out into Dipper’s secret room.

The walls were gold plated triangular tiles to form the room. Nothing inside was square. Dipper and McGucket built this place as a blind spot to Rick. The walls had current running through them at all times, so if he tried to morph a surface to his mouth, it would be disrupted.

In the center of the room was Bill’s circle. On each spot was a podium and a glass dome. Robbie’s hoodie, Mabel’s sweater, Soos’s Shirt, Stanford’s Hat and Gideon’s Bolo were all in their places. Dipper was hunched over a computer, his fingers flying over the keyboard as computations flashed across the screen.

In the center wall, encased in amber was Billeah. She looked like a tiny porcelain doll under glass. Next to her, on the right was McGucket. He was encased in Peanut Brittle. There was a wire leading from the back of his head into the wall.

“Ok Fiddleford, check these against the results from Tokyo. If we add nine more server farms… what do we get?”

“It’s still not enough… The quantum computers you’re designing are still not powerful enough.” Fiddleford McGucket said from the computer screen. Dipper had worked with the eccentric for years developing a neural interface, and with his failing health, they had agreed to suspend him and let him live in the computer. The expanded consciousness seemed to piece his mind back together and he spoke with a level of clarity and understanding few humans could manage. Sadly it didn’t even touch the power of Bill’s overmind.

Pacifica walked behind Dipper and gave him a kiss.

“Good evening, Ma’am,” Fiddleford said with a grin. She didn’t understand why he chose to keep his long bearded town kook look on the monitor, but she guessed Fiddleford is Fiddleford, and he’s always going to keep everyone guessing.

“Good evening, Fiddleford.” Pacifica said. She saw Dipper open another window on his screen. It looked to be a security camera. “Dipper, what...?”

Dipper raised his hand, she didn’t ask. He was fully concentrating on what he was doing.

“Number 2, you’re clear.” Dipper said.

She watched as a team of armed, masked men raced across the camera field. They appeared to have military training. Dipper switched to another camera. She saw a glimpse of a logo and gasped; Cube Consolidated.

“What are you…” she started but he held up his hand to have her be quiet. She was getting rather annoyed being dismissed.

“Number seven, you have three on your right.” Dipper said. One of the masked men turned to his right and he fired three rounds and the security guards dropped like a sack of potatoes. “Proceed.”

Pacifica’s hands went over her mouth to stifle her reaction. What was he doing?

“Elevator is clear…” Dipper said, and the armed team moved to an elevator and went inside. Dipper switched to the camera inside. The men were in position and the doors opened. They didn’t have a chance. She couldn’t hear the sounds, but whoever was on the other side of the elevator knew they were coming. The elite force was cut down in a hail of gunfire and didn’t have the chance to fire a retaliation shot. Dipper’s fist was clenched and turning white.

There was movement in the elevator. Pacifica couldn’t look away as her father and Buddy Gleeful entered the elevator. Her father grabbed one of the men and ripped off his mask. To her horror, the face was smooth and blank. Dipper pressed a button and the twelve men smoked, bubbled and melted into an inky black puddle.

“Did we get it?” Dipper asked.

“Number 13 was able to get us the link. I took a peek and got all the information we needed. He cut our connection before he retired.” Fiddleford said.

“Alright, compile the data and email me when you have results.” Dipper said and turned around to face Pacifica.

“Since when do you have an expendable faceless army?” Pacifica said, tapping her foot.

Dipper pointed to a clunky antique copy machine in the corner with wires going to what looked to be a large tube.

“If I make copies of myself, I can be sure they’ll follow my plans.” Dipper said.

“But you… killed them.” Pacifica said. “You lead them to their deaths just so you can distract everyone?”

“They’re ink and paper… they’re not real” Dipper said.

“When were you going to tell me about this?” Pacifica asked.

“Tonight, actually… I needed to know what Cubed Consolidated was up too. They’ve been too quiet. McGucket and I have been trying to hack their computers all week, but they’re too encrypted. We needed a hardline into the server room.”

“So you storm the castle and kill four people?” Pacifica shouted. “What if one of them had been my dad?”

“Those were tranquilizer darts… not live rounds.” Dipper said. “I wouldn’t do that.”

“But you can send yourself to die without a second thought?” Pacifica said.

“It’s not like that.” Dipper insisted.

“I remember you telling me about that machine… about Tyrone? They were you, they thought like you, they may have been copies, but they acted just like you.” Pacifica said, her voice was shaking. “I know you, and they knew they were going on a suicide mission. Which leads me to believe you’re capable of such a thing as well. I saw how they acted… they had no sense of self preservation.”

“They knew the plan, I was safe, and it was ok.” Dipper said, he reached out for her and she pulled away.

“Don’t patronize me. I’m not mad that some copies got disintegrated… I’m mad at how callous you are about it and the fact that my husband is even remotely capable of standing in an elevator and not even flinching as he’s gunned down. How am I supposed to feel knowing that you could get it in your head that your death will be what’s needed to save the world?” Pacifica said. She wanted to cry, but she would not give him the satisfaction of her breaking down.

“I’m sorry…” Dipper said.

She could tell he was starting to come back to her. When he’s down here for too long, he slips away. The considerate, caring, and loving husband she married grew farther and farther away as Dipper’s single mindedness took over once he was on a task. She spent years learning his nuances, and knew how to stop each one of them should they get out of hand.

“Dipper… you need to think about yourself more… we’re trying to start a family now, and I need our child’s father to be here for them.” She said, and put his hands on her belly. Dipper looked up at her and she nodded. She checked twice and it was positive. Dipper pulled her onto his lap and kissed her. His arms wrapped around her and he held her. Pacifica reached over and turned off the monitor McGucket was giggling on.

* * *

Mabel and Candy left the theater giggling as they pushed Tyrone in front of them.

“That was a good movie” Candy said and opened the van door. Mabel secured Tyrone and pressed the button to lift his chair into the van. Once they slid the door shut, the two of them got in and drove home, singing to 80’s anthem ballads.

“Is your uncle barbecuing?” Candy asked and pointed ahead. Mable slammed on the break. A billow of black smoke was rising up from the direction of the shack, silhouetted against the sunset.

“Oh my god… call 911!” Mabel yelled and tossed Candy her phone. Candy nodded and called while she slammed on the accelerator and sped down the road to her house.

As they turned the dirt road, the Shack came into view. She felt relief for a moment and followed the smoke down to the tree line. She could already hear the sound of the fire trucks as she pulled up to her childhood home… that was engulfed in flames.

“Oh, Mabel!” Candy cried.

“It’s all gone…” Mabel said. “Stan… we need to find Stan… he’s probably in the Shack.”

“Mabel, wait!” Candy’s cry fell on deaf ears. Mabel ran full speed to the shack and tore opened the door. No one was there. She looked up and saw the door the the roof was opened. She scaled it and climbed up.

Wendy was on top of the roof  with her knees to her chest rocking back and forth.

“Wendy!” Mabel cried. Wendy turned around and saw Mabel and ran over to grab her.

“Oh my god! I thought you were still inside… Do you have Tyrone?” She asked. 

Mabel nodded. “Where’s Stan?”

“I don’t know… He was in the shop earlier… and then…” Wendy said.

They both looked behind them as a Mustang tore down the driveway at breakneck speed. It skidded to a stop right in front of the blaze.

Dipper got out with a protesting Pacifica right behind him.

“Mabel!” He screamed and threw himself through the front window.

“Oh my god!” Wendy yelled. “Get down there before he gets himself killed!”

Mabel nodded and climbed back down.

She ran to where Pacifica waited and was immediately grabbed and hugged.

“I’m going to kill your brother!” She sobbed.

“Get in line,” Mabel said. “I can’t find Stan. Tyrone is in the van with Candy…”

The door exploded and Dipper along with someone else barreled through.

“I’m going to kill you!” Dipper screamed.

“Wait, wait!” a familiar voice said. “It wasn’t me I swear!”

Dipper was on top of him pummeling the smaller man over and over. Mabel’s chest gripped with fear. She saw him like this before… but where?

“Oh my god, he’s going to kill him.. Mabel you got to stop him, he’ll only listen to you!” Pacifica said.

Mabel nodded. She ran over and tried to pull him off the soot covered intruder. The firefighters were already hosing down the flames and had their hands full.

“Dipper! Stop!” Mabel screamed. Dippers hands were around the man’s throat, she could hear him choking. Mabel ran up and slapped her brother. “Stop! you got him, he’s done.”

Dipper looked around like he didn’t know where he was for a moment. Looked up at her, he nodded but glared at her for stopping him. Pacifica rushed over and pulled her husband off the small man. He stood up uneasily and rubbed his throat.

“I swear Dipper, you need to let it go.” he said.

“Let it go? You tried to _kill_ me! You sent me to jail for a year!” He screamed, Pacifica held him back and whispered something in his ear that seemed to keep him from lunging at him.

Mabel’s jaw dropped when she got a better look at him.

It was Gideon.

“Dipper… where’s Stan?” She asked. Dipper’s look of bloodlust was all she needed to know. He was still inside.

“After all these years you come back and try to kill us in our own home?” Mabel screamed. She was about ready to unleash her fury on him.

“NO NO NO! I swear I didn’t do it!” Gideon said, falling down as he retreated from Mabel. “I was here on business… and the fire happened! It wasn’t me!”

“Prove it!” Dipper spat.

“I’ve been working with your uncle for years! He invited me over. I needed some help with a geometry problem.” Gideon said. Mabel saw something in her brother’s eyes. He’s talked in code for years. Was something going on that she didn’t know about?” 

“Then what happened here?!” Dipper roared.

“It was Rick… he found out somehow.” Gideon said. “It’s not safe, I’m going… I’ll get in contact with you Dipper… I just have to do a few things first.”

Dipper took a step forward but Pacifica held him back. Gideon got up and ran into the woods.

“You’re going to let him go? He just set fire to our house and to Stan!” Mabel screamed and slapped him again.

“What should he have done?” Pacifica asked. “Snap his neck in front of everyone?”

“YES!” Mabel shrieked. “No… I don’t know. Hold him till the cops show up! Something! Not just stand there and let him get away.”

“He didn’t do it.” Dipper said and walked back to his car.

“How do you know? He’s been trying to destroy us our entire lives for years.” Mabel said.

“I believe he was working with Stan… I just hope...” Dipper trailed off.

“Hope what?” Mabel asked.

“That whatever he did to cause this fire was worth his life.” Dipper said.

Mabel’s chest hurt. She pulled her sweater over her face to hide from the fact that her entire life was going up in smoke. Her scrapbooks, her pictures, everything was gone. She felt someone wrap their arms around her and could tell it was Dipper. She wanted to push him away, or tell him where he could shove it, but she needed him right now, and he was offering shelter. Mabel hugged Dipper and cried into his chest as he rocked her back and forth. 

* * *

Dipper sat on the roof with a six pack of beer. Sitting next to him was the wax figure Stan who had come alive under the waxing moon.

“Wow… so that’s it, huh?” Stanford said, overlooking the burned husk that was his childhood home.

“Yeah. They said he passed out from smoke before the fire got to him… so he wouldn’t have felt it.” Dipper said. “We found Gideon inside… I almost lost it.”

“Well, at least you didn’t do anything too stupid.” Stanford said. “I hate to tell you that arch nemesis is right, he has been working with us for some time.”

Dipper nodded. To hear it confirmed really stabbed him in the chest.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Dipper asked.

“You know why, and if I know my brother, you’ll know a lot more soon.” Stanford said with a grin. “This whole contrived plan of mine seems like a wasted effort. I just… wanted to be around for him, ya know?”

“Yeah… just like I want to be there for Mabel.” Dipper said.

“You can still be there for her. She’s going to need you now more than ever.” Stanford said. “So how was the funeral?”

“He wanted to be cremated like you. We went to the highest point of Gravity Falls and scattered him across the forest.” Dipper said. “He wasn’t like you and kept to himself. Not too many people showed up.”

“Yeah, he always was a big sucker for things like that.” Stanford said. He took a drink and sighed. “Good for him.”

“Can you even taste it?” Dipper asked. Stanford laughed.

“Nope… think I’ll have to make a hole somewhere to get the rest of this stuff out too... but I enjoy spending time with you like this.”

“Now that he’s gone… What will you do?” Dipper asked. He knew his grandfather and why he made himself a wax figure.

“Think I’ll watch the sunrise. I miss the sun. I thought I could do it… live an eternity in wax, but without Stanford… well, you know.” Stanford said

“Yeah, I know.” Dipper said.

“We had a great run. Don’t ever forget it.” Stanford said. “But me and your Uncle… we need to pass the proverbial torch. We believe in you.”

Dipper’s watch beeped, he looked down and it said seven o’clock.

“Want me to watch it with you?” Dipper asked. Wax Stanford gave him a hug and a silent no.

“I think… I’ll take a walk.” He said. Dipper helped him down from the roof. He took a look around the Shack and nodded. “This was real fun… I have no regrets.”

“I’ll give Wendy the day off.” Dipper said. Stanford nodded and fixed his tie. He handed his 8-ball cane to Dipper and winked.

“I’m off. I’ll see ya whenever!” Stanford said, and left the Mystery Shack for the last time. 


	3. Return of an Old Acquaintance

**_May11, 2035_ **

Pacifica led Mabel down the halls of Northwest Manor. She smiled politely with every huff and grumble that she had hoped was being intended as inaudible. Mabel was never one for keeping her feelings to herself.

“Mabel dear, we have plenty of room; just pick any place for you and your brother. Just pick any room and it’s yours.” Pacifica said sweetly.

“This is just till we get our own place.” Mabel said. “I am fed up with the way the hotel staff keep staring at Tyrone.”

“I’ll have a nurse come by and help you with him. It won’t be a problem.” Pacifica said.

“No, you won’t. He’s my responsibility, I won’t have some stranger putting him in a corner and watching TV while he stares at a wall.” Mabel snapped.

“I assure you any of my staff would be of the highest caliber, and would never do such a horrible thing.” Pacifica said.

“I’ve seen enough nanny cam videos.” Mabel said. She stopped in front of one of the rooms and looked back down the hall. “Where’s the bathroom?”

“They… all have bathrooms.” Pacifica said.  Mabel opened the door to the bedroom. She closed it and opened the one across the hall and huffed.

“And where does his majesty sleep?” Mabel said.

“We… sleep in the west wing, the master bedroom.” Pacifica said. Mabel signed and waved her arms in the air.

“How am I supposed to know where that is?” she asked dramatically. “Are your fingers broken? Point, woman!”

“Oh… um, that direction.” Pacifica said, pointing back down the hall. “Furthest down.”

Mabel looked down the long hallway to where Pacifica was pointing. Then looked at the door she stood in front of and moved two more doors down to the last room in the hall and looked inside.

“You don’t have a guest house we can stay at… or like… a second home in New York… or England… or China?” Mabel asked.

“Well…” Pacifica said. “We do have a place in London we stay at when…”

“Fine… it’s fine… Tyrone and I will stay here.” Mabel said and pointed to the room.

“But… we can put Tyrone across the hall and you can have your own space.” Pacifica said. “If you want to check on him, I’m sure we can get some cameras and you can look in on him whenever you want.”

“Is that how you’d like to be treated?” Mabel snapped. “Just shut away in some room and ignored, only knowing that someone’s watching you through some TV screen?”

“That’s not what I meant,” Pacifica snapped. She had had it with Mabel’s attitude. “And you know it! I was simply trying to give you an ounce of privacy and a chance to put him to bed so you can have some time to yourself! You’ve done nothing but live with the Stans and Tyrone and mother hen them all your life. The Stans are gone! The only one left to hide behind is your brother. Do you think he wouldn’t want his own room and his own private time as well?”

Mabel stared Pacifica down. She was not letting her off so easy. Dipper may use kid gloves with her, but Pacifica was not going to pull any punches. She matched Mabel’s stare with an icy one of her own when the doorbell rang.

She heard Dipper’s footsteps heading to the door. She didn’t want to be the first one to break their stare down but then they heard a loud crash. Mabel and Pacifica ran to the upper railing and looked down. Dipper had Gideon on the floor with his arm twisted in stomach turning angle.

“Stop, stop, stop!” Gideon screamed. “I said I’d be back… why are you attacking me!”

Dipper let him go and kicked him in his ribs.

“I’m just saying hi.” He said with a grin. “Now, get up.”

* * *

Mabel’s heartbeat filled her ears. Gideon was struggling with pulling a seaman’s chest across the floor.

“I… could.. use a… little help… here… guys.” He said with each pull. “This stuff… is kinda... important.”

“Everyone… give him a hand.” Dipper said dryly, Mabel and Pacifica clapped out of sync.

“Oh, haha.” Gideon said.

“I’d give you one, but I lost the one I took.” Dipper said.

“You know what?” Gideon snapped and turned to Dipper. He raised an eyebrow as if asking him to finish his thought. “Never mind… where do you want me to drag this?”  

“You never even said what it was.” Dipper said. Mabel could see her brother was barely keeping it together. His fist clenched and he seemed to be shaking with rage.

“Your Uncle gave me stuff to keep for him, said if something happened, I’m to give it to you guys and help you.” Gideon said, dragging the chest a few more inches. One of the edges drew a long scratch in the hardwood paneling. “Oh… darn… sorry about that.”

Mabel grinned, she saw Pacifica’s cool exterior crack at the damage. Her eye was twitching slightly.  Dipper made a motion and out of nowhere two attendants grabbed the chest and hefted it up out of reach of Gideon.

“Oh, they were there the whole time and you just… alright.” Gideon said. Dipper wordlessly led the group to his study. They sat the case in front of his desk and Dipper motioned them out.

Mabel sat down with a huff.

“Couldn’t get your hands dirty?” She said to Dipper.

“Didn’t see you helping either.” Dipper said. “So what’s this all about? I talked to Grandpa and he confirmed your story.”

Gideon looked over at Mabel and frowned.

“You sure she should be here?” Gideon asked. Why shouldn’t she be? 

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?” Mabel snapped. Dipper looked at Gideon and over to Pacifica. They seemed to have a silent conversation without her. What was going on?

“Stan said to give her this…” Gideon said, and pulled out a dusty journal. “But… he wanted you to look over it first. We can’t talk about… it, as you know. He said you know where to read his mementos.”

Dipper nodded and took the book from Gideon. He opened it and flipped through a few pages. Mabel wanted to snatch it from him. it was her Uncle’s book he wanted to give to her. Why does he have to choose if she gets it or not!

“Mabel.” Dipper said. His voice grated on her nerves. He was using the calm, soothing, placating voice. “I can’t let you read this.”

“That’s bullcrap!” Mabel yelled. “You have no right to hold back whatever Stan wanted to tell me!”

“You don’t understand, but if you read this you will… and there’s no going back.” Dipper said. “You can’t put the genie back into the bottle. I can’t say more.”

“You can’t make that choice for me!” Mabel said. She stood up and snatched the book away from Dipper and ran out of the room.

Mabel ran through the halls and found a coatroom. She shut herself up in it and opened the book.

Mabel… Before you read any more, know that everything you know is a lie. By turning this page, I shall tell you everything. The truth behind Tyrone’s accident, the cousin you don’t have, and your brother’s fall.

You hold in your hands the key to the chains you’ve wrapped around yourself. It’s up to you to unlock them and move forward. Know that through all these years, we love you and understand your pain. I wanted to tell you so many times what that feeling you can never get out of your head is, unfortunately… only in my passing could this knowledge be known.

Mabel’s hands were shaking. She told herself over and over to not turn the page, it was all a lie, she couldn’t trust it. The thoughts were so loud in her ear, she thought she could hear her mind’s protests as she turned the page and read on.

_You have a cousin named Billeah…_

* * *

“Why did you do that?” Gideon demanded angrily. Pacifica’s stone face cracked a smile and she erupted in laughter.

“Oh my god, could you have been more manipulative?” She said. Dipper smiled with her.

“Wait… you _wanted_ her to have the book?” Gideon said.

“Yes. My sister’s view of me is not that high… I’ve wanted to bring her into the fold for years, but she resents me. Simply telling her I want her to do something, she’ll do the opposite out of spite.” Dipper got out of his seat and looked inside the chest. His heart lifted to see the familiar journals.

“Why didn’t you just run away with these?” Dipper asked, picking up Journal 3 and flipping through the familiar pages. Gideon looked around the room nervously. “He can’t hear you in here. I have a small current going through the wall paper. He tries to show up, he’ll get a nice charge.”

“Dad has been acting crazier and crazier since joining up with your father in law. I thought it was just the company that was taking up all his time, but things were getting down right violent over there. I knew I had to run when I overheard him offer me up for some sort of sacrifice. That’s when I saw him… that big giant square thing. I never felt so terrified in my life. I figured if anyone knew what was going on, it’d be you guys.” He stammered. “So I came back to Gravity Falls to find you. 

 “How long have you been working with them?” Pacifica asked. Gideon looked nervous and fidgeted with his finger.

“Four… years?” He said.

Dipper got up and wordlessly left, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

Pacifica knew he was mad… just how mad she couldn’t gauge. She was left alone with Gideon rummaging through the books and various objects in the trunk. He looked over at her occasionally and grinned.

“So… nice place ya got here. I’ve never actually been here. Your dad and my dad never really did talk much.” Gideon said.

“I should be with my husband, but I doubt he’d appreciate if I left you alone.” Pacifica said. Gideon laughed nervously.

“I just… want bygones to be bygones. I know he’s mad that we never told him about me, but you saw how he attacked me the first time he saw me!” Gideon said. “I’ve changed! Turned over a new leaf and such.”

He waved a gloved hand and grinned. “I’m not even mad about this. I know It was my fault, and… I was in a dark place. I figured it was my rebirth… casting away all that was wrong with my life.”

“That didn’t stop you from pressing charges and trying to get my husband tried as an adult for attempted murder, nor you fleeing the country before we could bring up charges against you… You realize there’s no statute of limitations on that right?”

“Ahahehehe… yeah… I’m well aware of that.” Gideon said. “I know… I know I’ve been terrible.”

“Between you, me and the walls.” Pacifica said with a smile. “I’ve been in your shoes. I know I was not a good person when I first met my husband, but he saw something in me and led me down a different path. Give him time… I trust him to do the right thing.”

Dipper stormed into the room, grabbed Gideon by his shirt and lifted him to eye level. He slammed him against the wall and raised his fist. Gideon cowered, waiting for the punch to fall. Dipper screamed and put his fist through the wall, right next to his head. He proceeded to punch the wall repeatedly, leaving multiple holes. He dropped Gideon. Screamed again and stormed out of the study, slamming the door behind him... three times.

Pacifica smile sweetly to Gideon who was shaking like a leaf

“See? I told you I trusted him.” She said with a smirk. Gideon nodded and stayed on the floor. 

* * *

Dipper stormed through the halls of his home. His hand hurt. He may have broken something. He’d get it looked at later. He wanted to scream at his grandfather and Stan, but they were gone. How could they have kept something this important from him?

He rounded the corner and heard sobbing nearby. It was coming from the coat room near the front door. His storming fury subsided as he neared the closed door. He recognised the cries as Mabel’s.

Gently Dipper knocked on the door. There was no response, so Dipper opened the door quietly and came in. Mabel was curled up on the floor with the book held to her chest. Dipper sat next to her and put his arm on her, and rubbed her back.

Dipper noticed a square with a mouth smiling across from him that slowly vanished.

“He was here.” She whispered.

“I know.” Dipper said.

“I couldn’t tell what thoughts were mine… and what were his. I feel… crazy.” Mabel whispered.

“That’s what he does. You need to trust yourself and not let your mind get to you.” Dipper said. He gently pulled his sister up off the floor and laid her head on his lap. “It’s been so long since I’ve held you like this.”

Mabel nodded.

“I know you hate me… and I wish… I saw through what happened.” Dipper said. “I made a mistake that I regret every moment of every day.”

“How… can I hate you?” Mabel choked. “I’m trying not to… but I still feel it in my chest. I see it over and over. I… I closed my eyes when it happened, but I can hear the sounds.”

“Do you remember everything?” Dipper whispered. She nodded. He wiped the tears streaming down her cheeks while she sniffed.

“I was… I was so horrible to you.” Mabel said. “You were a kid… we were kids. Why were we even involved in anything like this? Stan… he… he got it in your head… or was it Rick? You never should have been there. We shouldn’t have been there. What’s wrong with us?”

“I’m sorry… I wish I could take it all back.” Dipper said.

“You’re… not even my real brother.” Mabel said. “You and Billeah trapped him, he lost his mind trying to kill you.”

“I know… I didn’t know, and I think Billeah didn’t see him as real after she rebooted this universe since I destroyed it.” Dipper said. “I wanted to fix everything.”

Dipper knew Rick could probably hear them talk, Their twenty year lie was uncovered, so might as well throw caution into the wind. Rick still had no idea where Billeah was.

“Can… Can we start over?” Mabel asked. “I… I want my brobro back.”

“I’ll bring him back to you. I already have a plan to do that, but it’s taking longer than I had hoped.”

“I meant you…” Mabel said, and wrapped his arm around her. “I want us to be a family again. I want the rift I made between us bridged.”

“I think this is a good first step.” Dipper said. Mabel sat up, and Dipper moved her to his lap. He bundled her up in his arms and let her cry into his shoulder.     

* * *

Pacifica looked up as Dipper and Mabel walked back into the room. Gideon flinched slightly as Dipper moved past him. She was pleased to see they were holding hands. Something she’d thought to never see again.

“We need to move this conversation. Rick was here, and I think he knows.” Dipper said, mostly to her. Pacifica’s stomach dropped. They had been so careful, after all these years of placating Rick’s intrusions and never alluding to memories of what happened that night, terror gripped her chest.

Dipper grabbed the chest and winced when he wrapped his hand around the handle.

“I’ll get someone…” Pacifica started.

“No… we got this.” Dipper said and looked at Gideon. The small man nodded and grabbed the other side. Dipper lifted with his good hand and Pacifica followed them with Mabel.

“Do you want to go check on Tyrone?” Pacifica asked. Mabel shook her head no.

“Candy’s with him.” She said. “Can I… no.. I’m sorry”

“What?” Pacifica asked, she grabbed Mabel and let the men walk down the hall. “Mabel, you were my sister way before I married your brother. I may have to slap some sense into you sometimes, but it’s because I love you… now tell me.”

“Can I apologize?” Mabel said. “I’ve been terrible… horrible. I ruined all these years.”

“Mabel… your brother and I knew. We all knew, and we forgave you so long ago. We all knew how much you were hurting.” Pacifica said and gave her a hug. “You can’t ask for us to forgive you, because there’s nothing to forgive.”

“I wanted to move to _China_ to get away from you guys.” Mabel said and hugged Pacifica back.

“Then it’s a good thing I know Mandarin, because we wouldn't let you get away from us.” Pacifica laughed.

“I just wish I could apologize to my grandfather and uncle. They died thinking I hated them.” Mabel said.

“They did no such thing, and don’t you go getting that stuck in your head.” Pacifica said. “Now suck it up and lets go meet up with the guys. They’re probably downstairs by now.”

Pacifica held Mabel’s hand and lead her to the large portrait at the end of the hall. She slid back the panel and grinned.

“This is your place now.” She said. Mabel looked confused and put her hand on the panel. A yellow light ran up and down her palm and beeped. The painting slid away and an elevator rose to the top.

“When did you get my fingerprints?” Mabel asked, looking at her hand.

“Oh honey, that’s a biometric scanner, fingerprints are so passe’.” Pacifica chuckled.

“Ok… when did you guys take my bioprint?” Mabel asked rather annoyed as they entered the elevator.

Pacifica just smiled and let the door close in front of them. 


	4. Disclosure

**_May 11, 2035_ **

Mabel stepped out into her brother’s secret lair. It was the only thing she could call it. Dipper and Gideon were rummaging through the trunk and setting all the contents out on a table.

“Dipper found this mushroom that erases memories in the woods.” Pacifica said from behind her. “We hired a few out of state contractors, and had them sign a waiver to let us give them the mushroom after the job was done. No one knows about this place but the people in this room.”

“But… couldn’t Rick just… morph his way in?” Mabel asked. She shook her head no.

“The walls carry a small current… they’re gold plated and shaped in a triangle. We’ve found Rick has trouble manipulating hard angles… We don’t know why, and we worry sometimes it’s a feint to allow us to drop our guard, but we’ll take what we can get.” Pacifica said.

Mabel looked around at the room with curious eyes. Dipper halted his conversation with Gideon and walked over to her. He smiled and held out his hand.

“Let me give you the tour.” Dipper said as Mabel placed her hand into his. He led her to the middle of the room that hand a circle divided into ten places. A display stand stood in the middle of each one. She saw various items Dipper had collected in each display and in the center was a triangle with a bow tie and top hat and a big eye in the center. Hovering above the floor carving was a young woman encased in what looked like amber. She looked peaceful, like she was sleeping.

“Billeah…” She whispered and put her hand on the amber block. “Oh… what did they do to you?”

“This is what it’s all about.” Dipper said. “We are all that’s left of the circle.”

“I… don’t understand.” Mabel said. This was all familiar, but she didn’t really remember it all.

“This circle kept Rick and his kind from finding our universe. When Bill became human, we let the rest of his kind know about us. The more this circle breaks, the more powerful Rick gets.”

Mabel walked around the circle. She saw her grandfather’s fez, Soos’s shirt, Robbie’s sweater, the three journals, A bolo tie that looked like it belonged to Gideon, then she paused in front of her old shooting star sweater.

“When you turned your back on us… you were lost and your string was cut.” Dipper said softly. “And foolishly, I severed Gideon’s when we fought.”

Mabel nodded and walked to stand in front of Dipper’s old Pinetree cap.

“Your brother was the real Pinetree.” Dipper said. “We only have Pacifica the Llama, Fiddleford the Glasses, and the Icebag left.”

“Who’s the icebag?” Mabel asked.

“We thought it was Wendy.” Pacifica said. “But, when she chose to forget Dipper’s attack, we didn’t feel anything sever between us. We’re still trying to find out who the last one is.”    

“So… what do you do in here? And you said Fiddleford is still around. I thought he got lost in the woods and never returned.” Mabel said.

“Remember Trembly?” Dipper said with a grin and pointed to the corner of the room. Mabel gasped to see a sleeping Fiddleford McGucket encased in peanut brittle with wires coming out of his head. “Say hi to Mabel!”

“Howdy hoo!” Said a disembodied voice. “Welcome to our little cubby hole!” 

Mabel walked around dumbfounded. The main computer screen turned on and showed a dancing town fool.

“How do you keep this place secret?” Gideon asked. “Why doesn’t Cube Consolidated try and hack inside?’

“We got the best firewall ever created.” Dipper chuckled and pointed to Fiddleford. “His mind is so skewed, he’s been able to rebuff any attacks on the Northwest Industry’s mainframes. I have a few computer techs trying to emulate it, but we’re about twenty years behind with the technology needed.” Dipper chuckled. “We all knew he was a genius.Now that he has the brainpower he's become so much more.”

“Your grandfather said you had an endgame planned.” Gideon said.

“That’s not something I really want to tell you just yet.” Dipper said. “You just got here, I don’t trust you.”

“But… you have a plan?” Mabel asked.

“Sort of… We need to get to Billeah… her higher self. We’ve established a way to connect to a brain, Fiddleford developed that.” Dipper said. “But… Billeah’s mind is an omniscient overmind, not a human one. I can cover the moon in servers and it won’t even be a tenth of what we need to allow contact. Rick saw to it that Billeah’s mind is fully opened. The information flowing through her is too much and her body’s shut down.”

“So… what will it take?” Mabel asked.

“We need to design a system that can calculate the location and trajectory of every single particle in the universe. Then be able to extrapolate every possible collision and trace back all the previous interactions back to the big bang.” Dipper said.

“That’s…” Gideon stammered. “That’s a god… you’re trying to create a _god_ computer!”

“I’m trying to create a blank universe for a god to play in.” Dipper said, pressing his hand on the amber. “Bill lived in the mindscape. Now she’s trapped here, if we can put her back into a pseudo-mindscape, then we might be able to access her powers.”

“I know you’re ambitious, but that’s nuts!” Gideon said. “There’s no way you can develop that kind of technology in our lifetime!”

Dipper and Pacifica exchanged a grin. Mabel knew they had some sort of plan, but kept her mouth shut. Mabel’s mind slowly took in the room as their conversation died into an uncomfortable silence. Something dawned on her and she felt terrified to even ask.

“Dipper?” Mabel asked. He looked over at her, and waited for her to continue. “Tyrone… could you… I just want to talk to him, I want to hear him again.”

Dipper walked over and gave her a hug.

“I’ve wanted to try and get a better look at him, but you never let me near him. I’ll see what’s been done to him. I just… want you to be prepared for the worst.” Dipper said. Mabel nodded.

“I’ll call the specialist we found.” Pacifica said, and headed to the elevator. “We need to check for mundane solutions before we start plugging wires in his head.”

“You… already have someone in mind?” Mabel asked.

“I’ve always planned on helping him.” Dipper said. “I’m just glad we can finally do it.”

“I… I think I need some air.” Mabel said. “This room is getting cramped.”

“I hear ya, sister…” Gideon said. “This is a lot to take in.”

Dipper led the two to the elevator. Gideon lingered in front of his Bolo tie.

“We’ve tried to give the hoodie back to Robbie, but he always refused. if you want to take it back, go ahead and see if you can.” Dipper said. Gideon removed the glass and reached for it, but paused.

“I… I just feel better knowing it’s here, safe.” Gideon said, and put the glass dome back on it. “Maybe later, when I prove myself to you.”

Dipper nodded and led them out of the room.

* * *

Dipper laid in bed reading Scientific American. Pacifica got in next to him and rubbed lotion on her arms and legs.

“I can help you with that.” He said with a grin. Pacifica handed him the lotion and pulled her hair to the side. He massaged it into her shoulders and she let out a soft moan. “You’re really tense.”

“I wonder why?” Pacifica said. “I’m worried we’re spread too thin. I was going over our schedules and we’re going to be away from home a lot in the next few months.”

“I was thinking the same thing.” Dipper said. “With Mabel, Tyrone and Gideon here…”

“He’s staying?” Pacifica said with a sigh. “Can’t we just… get a hotel for him?”  

“You know it’s too dangerous.” Dipper said. He pulled her against him and put his hands on her belly. He filled his palm with lotion ran his palms over the small bump that had started to appear. “I need to be able to protect everyone.”

“Is… this the right choice?” Pacifica asked. “We… we shouldn’t do this, not during all this crazy. What kind of life will that be for our child?”

“We’ll give our child every chance they need to make it in whatever world awaits for them.” Dipper said. Pacifica rolled over and kissed him. Dipper reached over and turned out the light.

* * *

Mabel stood on the balcony overlooking the town. She had put Tyrone to bed and Candy just left. Everything seems to have changed. She can’t see anything like she used to. She was only fifteen when everything changed. She was going to be thirty six soon and felt like the last twenty years of her life had been stolen from her. They were robbed from her by a neurotic being from another dimension. Her mind was shattered over what Dipper did, and she understood he did what he thought he had to do.

“Blarg!” Mabel cried out into the night.

“What’s that?”

Mabel jumped out of her skin and spun around to see Gideon in the doorway.

“Swear to god, I’m going to put a bell on you!” Mabel said, holding her chest. “Just as bad as my cousin.”

“You get used to slinking around where I grew up.” Gideon said with a chuckle.

“Swear to god Gideon… If you even start with me.” Mabel said. “My brother may have extended an olive branch, but I can’t forgive you of all the crap you put us through.”

“It’s been a while, but the Mabel I remember would be the first one to let things go.” Gideon said.

“That Mabel died years ago.” She said.

“No… no I don’t think so.” Gideon said. “She’s hiding, that’s all. Hiding from all the crap the world threw at her. Give her time, and… I think she’ll come around.”

Pacifica burst through the doorway with a panicked look in her eyes.

“Where’s my husband?” she stammered.

“He’s not here… we were talking and you just came in” Gideon said. “What’s going on?”

“He’s missing, and I just heard a message on our machine. It was from Dan… he wanted to meet with him alone.” Pacifica was clutching her chest. “He’s the axe… Why would Dipper go and meet him alone?

* * *

Dipper trudged through the woods to the meeting place. The jog in the woods did him good, and allowed him to clear his head.

Dipper heard a sound from behind him and ducked. The tell-tale thump of an axe fell on his ears. Looking up, he saw a throwing hatchet inches above his head. Dipper spun around and carved squares appeared on all of the trees, leering at him with a wide grin.

“Come on out, Dan. Attacking me from behind is not very manly!” Dipper shouted. He heard Manly Dan roar and step out of the trees.

“I just gave you a fighting chance is what I did… if you’re too wimpy to dodge, then that’s your problem and not mine.” Dan said while popping his knuckles. Tyler followed behind him with a gleeful look in his eyes

“Get ‘im… get ‘im…” He said.

“You said you wanted to talk… what’s your problem?” Dipper said.

“You’re taking food out of my children and grandchildren’s mouths!” Manly Dan said and slammed his fist against a tree. When he removed it, it left a massive dent in the bark. “Your ‘sanctuary’ is keeping me from working! I’m a lumberjack with no trees to jack for lumber!”

“So… you want me to stop the legislation? I’ve already got plans for replanting the clear cut sections… I wanted you to be a part of that.” Dipper said. Manly Dan pulled out his double bladed axe and snorted out of his nose.

“I cut trees down… I don’t plant them and I see a Pine tree that’s ready to fall.” Manly Dan said. A group of bikers stepped out from behind the trees.

“Dan, we can talk about this.” Dipper said nervously. “That’s what we do… that’s what _adults_ do is talk about our problems.”

“Talk, talk, talk… that’s all you ever did is talk… You break my daughter’s heart… threaten to take my job away... and you talk, talk, talk.” Dan said. “I’m done talking with you.”

Dipper ducked and rolled from Dan’s swing. He was able to run to the axe lodged in the tree and pull it out.

“What did I ever do to Wendy? She’s the one who left me!” Dipper said, blocking an overhead blow. His arm felt like it would break. He couldn’t match Dan’s strength. “She’s with Lee and has given you Grandchildren!”

“Lee? Lee?” Dan roared and swung his axe down. Dipper was able to deflect the blow and slide it to the side. “Lee does nothing but play video games and live off the paycheck you give my daughter out of pity! It was supposed to be you!”

“Dan… I can see I let you down with the way things happened…” Dipper stammered. The bikers circled Dipper. Thankfully no one jumped in, but they all hooted and hollered. Any time Dipper tried to leave the ring, a chain would fly across his path, warning him back in.   

“I saw you as one of my own boys.” Dan said. Dipper saw the mouths on the trees surrounding him moving and whispering something inaudible to him. They were fanning the flames. “I opened my home to you… and you choose a Northwest over a Corduroy!”

“I chose Wendy, damn it, but she left me!” Dipper screamed and blocked another blow. He needed to get out of there.

“Lier! She never would have left you. You drove her away because you wanted to worm your way into that mansion! That’s all you do is talk and manipulate yourself into wherever you want to go!” Dan bellowed as he slashed at Dipper. Dipper rolled out of the way but winced as his side exploded in pain. He wasn’t cut, but the flat of the axe slammed into his ribs. He swore he heard something snap.

Dipper looked around him and saw where Tyler was. The short biker was easily the weakest link in the chain. Dipper threw his axe at Tyler whose face dropped from gleeful to terrified and ducked behind one of his fellow bikers. Dipper sprinted full speed at the break in the circle, and dive rolled into the woods. He heard Manly Dan bellow behind him and could feel the ground rumble as he chased after him.

He needed help… neutral ground to deal with him. Dipper grinned and quickly got his bearings. If he could keep up his pace, He should be able to make it to the Man Cave.

Dipper lept full force into the animal hide that covered a window to the Manotaur’s man-cave. A number of manotaurs who were punching, kicking, pulling each other's beards, arm-wrestling, and sitting in the hot tub looked over at the sudden intrusion.

“Who dares interrupt our man time?” Demanded a familiar voice.

“Guys! Guys! It’s me… Dipper the Destructor!” Dipper said, as he crawled out of the pelt. “I… need your help!”

“Dipper!” Testosteraur exclaimed. He grabbed Dipper and held him up, inspecting him all over. “You’ve gotten manlier, but still no beard.”

“Guys… Manly Dan is after me!” Dipper said just as he burst through the wall with a roar.

“DIPPER!” He screamed.

“Now that’s a manly entrance.” Beardy said, everyone agreed.

“Put the boy down, Testosteraur… he’s mine!” Manly Dan growled. “This is none of your concern.’

“Guys! He’s being controlled by Rick… he’s not himself and he’s trying to kill me!” Dipper said.

“What?” Shouted a loud voice. everyone got quiet as the cave shook. “A fellow brother is attempting to kill another brother? We may bash heads, break bones, rip out beards, and punch each other repeatedly into unconsciousness… but we never will take the life of another lodge member!”

Leaderaur walked into full view of the crowd. Dan’s bikers cowered behind Manly Dan who met the Manotar’s leader’s gaze unafraid.

“This boy is taking my livelihood and has offended my house. I seek revenge!” Manly Dan said.

Testosteraur still held Dipper in one hand and looked over to Leaderaur. 

“We must have you compete in a manly contest… a battle of manliness! Whoever loses shall lose their membership, and be cast out of the brotherhood. The winner will decide the fate of the looser.” Leaderaur said definitively.

Manly Dan nodded. This was what Dipper needed. If he could beat Manly Dan, he could get away with this unscathed for both of them. The Manotaurs were crazy, but none of their tasks would ever result in intentional death… just pain and suffering the likes will cause unending nightmares for the rest of your life… but he could live with that. 


	5. Trial by Combat

**_May 12, 2035_ **

Dipper was dressed in the familiar loincloth during his initial trials. He covered his skin in ash and slicked his hair back. He knew this was no game. Manly Dan was going to do everything he could to kill him. Dipper had to defend himself and wrestle with the fact that he may have to make another hard choice. He just hoped it wouldn’t come down to that. 

“It’s time.” Beardy said. Dipper nodded and exited the sweat room.

All the Manotaurs hooted and hollered as Dipper the Destructor entered. Manly Dan was already standing in the arena. He could see many Manotaurs were making side bets as he circled the ring and thrust his fists into the air.

“We have made five challenges of Manliness to conclude the feud between Destructor and Manly Dan! Building stuff, Knocking things down, punching things, eating things, and final combat.”

Dipper groaned. Facing Manly Dan in an eating contest was not something he looked forward to… and hoped the punching portion was not going to involve trading blows with each other.

“As Final combat is final… we will have the competitors choose which challenge to start with by a burping contest!”

Tankards were set in front of Dipper and Manly Dan. Manly Dan grabbed the mug, downed the beer, crushed the pewter tankard on his head and let out an ear shattering burp. Many Manotaurs cheered at his feat. Dipper was not going to lose this one. He grew up with burping contests with his sister, and knew exactly what to do.

He downed the entire drink in one gulp and held his breath. The key to a good burp isn’t expending all the air at once, but a controlled release. With that you can do some amazing things.

Dipper opened his mouth and performed a feat no Manotaur has ever seen.

“Dipper the Destructor vows to punch that which is sissy, mock that which is girly, and be the manliest man a man can be. Let it be known from this day forward.. I am the Destructor!” Dipper said in one long burp. He grinned at the stunned faces of his peers as he had just burped the Manotaur vow he took when he finished his final challenge as a youth.

The manotaurs erupted in cheers at his manly feet. To top it off, he let out a huge fart. The crowd erupted into chants of his name.

“Hmph… show off.” Dan said.

Dipper thought about his choices. He was sure building and knocking things down were feats he could do. The eating and punching he was almost certain he would lose. The key was to make it to the final combat. If he was fighting Dan after eating, that could seriously inhibit him… same with punching things. It would be best to let his stomach settle and get the eating portion out of the way first.

“I have made my choice!” Dipper said. “I choose eating things!”

“HA!” Manly Dan said “You dare challenge me to a contest of food?”

Dipper grinned, if all went according to plan… this may play into his favor.

“The challenge has been made! To the banquet hall!” Leaderaur bellowed. The crowd of Manotaurs lept into the arena and carried Dan and Dipper off to the banquet hall.

* * *

“Any man can eat soft foods like pancakes and beef jerky…” Leaderaur said. “But it takes a man to eat… other things.”

The crowd grumbled and nodded in agreement.

“We have a selection of foods found in the forest. Each will choose the opponent’s food. The opponent must eat the food. The one who throws up or quits… loses.” Leaderaur said.

Dipper looked at the table and felt his stomach churn. Various bugs crawled on leaf piles, mushrooms and other mosses he couldn’t identify, along with small pebbles, a plate of lizards and frogs, tree bark, and a bowl of goldfish. Dipper’s eyes spied a small mushroom with a yellow cap and white spots; psilocybin.

Dipper stared down Manly Dan as Leaderaur spoke.

“Since the Destructor chose the feat... Manly Dan chooses first!”

“Lets see how you like the taste of the trees!” Manly Dan said with a grin. “I choose the pine bark!”

The Manotaurs hooted and hollered, chanting “Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark!” Leaderaur placed a plate of bark scraped from a tree in front of Dipper. the pieces were the size of his hand.

“Do we get anything to drink with such a fine and life sustaining meal?” Dipper asked. If he could wash it down, he might be able to eat it. Leaderaur motioned and a flagon of mead was slammed in front of him.

“This.. is all you get for the contest… no refills.” he said. Dipper nodded. He’d make it work. He’s eaten most of the live protein squirming… he didn’t know about the pebbles… might have to get them surgically removed, but he’d live. The chanting crescendoed as Dipper broke off a bite sized piece and chewed it. It was like eating wood.

Dipper stared at Manly Dan as he tore off piece by piece. When his mouth was full, he’s wash down the pulped wood with a drink of mead. It took him about ten minutes to finish his chunk of food. He thrust his hands in the air and the chanting manotaurs erupted in cheers.

“Dipper the Destructor has eaten the Wood!” Leaderaur said. “Now… what will you make Manly Dan eat?

Dipper didn’t want to go for the mushrooms just yet… This was his chance to sabotage Dan for their final fight.

“He made me eat bark… so he can eat rocks!” Dipper said. Manly Dan grunted as a plate of rocks were set before him. If he needs his stomach pumped, he’d pay for it… but Dipper’s at a disadvantage. His stomach already hurt, and he felt sick. He took small sips of the mead to coat the already expanding bark.

Dan picked up each stone and swallowed it without taking a drink. After the final stone was swallowed he broke the plate across his head. The Manotaurs erupted in cheers.

“Give him the bugs.” Manly Dan said. Dipper was given a plate of caterpillars, beetles, and moths. Dipper quickly ate them, and grinned as he laid his eyes on the other animal plate. There was a brightly colored frog sitting there with a plethora of lizards.

“Give him the Lizards and Frogs.” Dipper proclaimed once he finished the last squirming larva. Dipper made sure to stare intently at the mushrooms and made sure Dan saw it. If he acted like he wanted them next, Dan would pick the fish tank. Dipper could easily swallow the fish. The bugs actually helped his upset stomach.

Manly Dan grabbed a handful of lizards and tore into them. Dipper felt sick watching him chomp them in half and sucking out their innards. He made every effort to make it as disgusting and unsettling as possible. Dipper smiled when he swallowed the toad. It may not be the colorado river toad, but there should be enough poison to weaken his massive opponent.

Dipper glanced over at the mushrooms and moss. Manly Dan grinned and took a massive swig from his drink.

“Think you need to go fishing.” He said. The manotaurs cheered as Dipper swallowed each fish one by one. He counted thirty and thanked that he was done. He finished his tankard and felt them moving around in his stomach. He felt like he was going to puke.

“Give him the moss and mushrooms.” Dipper said with a burp.

“Ha! This is a salad to me!” Manly Dan said and fisted the mushrooms and moss into his mouth. He finished it in two bites. That was all Dipper needed. He leaned over and let the fish go.

“Dipper has lost!” Leaderaur bellowed. Dipper was given a bucket and allowed to purge his stomach It took three or four tries, and he was able to remove most of the bark. He felt better, and knew Manly Dan was going to be having a harder time than he was. All he had to do was wait for his landmine to go off.

“I… I accept defeat. Manly Dan, you choose the next task.” Dipper said as he stumbled up and grimaced.

“Punching things…” He grinned. Dipper knew this would happen. He retched into his bucket a final time and waved.

* * *

Dipper sat in the back room while waiting for the Manotaurs to set up the next trial. Beardy and Testosteraur sat next to him and patted him on the back.

“You did good. It’s only one game.” Testosteraur said. The cheers erupted from the arena. Beardy nodded and led Dipper into the arena.

“Now we punch things!” Leaderaur bellowed. Dipper’s heart sunk. They had two inch thick granite slabs lined up in racks with an inch of space between them. He could probably break one or two of them, but Manly Dan could decimate the entire setup. He looked over at Dan and could see his eyes were dilated. Dipper’s plan may backfire if he was hopped up on shrooms.

“You punch… most broken slabs win!” Leaderaur said. Manly Dan looked like a bull, his nose was flared and he seemed to be raging. Dipper saw a fading square nearby. Rick must be riling him up.

Dipper didn’t even need to say a word. Manly Dan stormed to his set of slabs and plowed his fist through the stones. Dipper counted twenty slabs that broke out of twenty five. He withdrew a bloody hand from inside the stones and bellowed a roar. The Manotaurs followed suit and chanted “Punch! Punch! Punch!”

Dipper knew he lost this one. Everyone quieted down as he approached his granite slabs. Dipper’s mind ran every scenario he could. A quiet fell over the crowd as Dipper put his hand on the front slab and pressed slightly. To his surprise there was some give, not to the stones, but the wooden structure that held them. The table the structure was on stood about four feet high. This gave him an idea.

“By definition, a punch is my fist landing on the slab, and then pulling it away. I get one punch right? Even if it’s a slow one?” Dipper asked. Leaderaur conferred with his fellow Manotaurs.

“Dipper… are you using brain magic again? That’s what a punch is. You hit it once, and break as many as you can.”  Beardy said.

“Alright… watch closely!” Dipper said and rested his fist on the slab. He gave it a small amount of pressure, and pulled back, never letting his fist lift from the slab. “All I have to do is break them all.”

Dipper rocked back and forth, pushing with all his weight and getting the whole structure rocking. Dipper grinned as the momentum scooted the frame an inch. He kept up the rhythm as the Manotaurs stared in stunned silence.

“He’s cheating!” Dan bellowed

Dipper kept up his pressure. He could see the ropes that tied together the slots that held the granite slabs in place move and frey. He redoubled his pressure and put all his weight in it. The rocking increased and he could hear the wood groan with each push. The blocks weight scooted the slabs closer and closer to the edge. With one final push, the whole structure tumbled off the table. The force shattered the granite slabs.

The Manotaurs erupted in cheers.

“Destructor wins!” Leaderaur shouted. “Let him choose the next competition!”

“Build things!” Dipper shouted.

Beardy and Testosteraur carried Dipper out on their shoulders as the Manotaurs chanted “Build! Build! Build! Build!”. He noticed Manly Dan’s hand looked broken and blood was trailing from a cut on his knuckle.

* * *

When Dipper was taken back to the arena, he stared at a pile of junk. It had everything from old tires, dressers, bed frames, to anything else you could find in a junkyard. Manly Dan stood in front of a similar pile.

“The competitors will take turns placing one object down. The next person will stack on top of the first object. They will take turns until the tower falls. The one whose turn it is when the tower falls is the loser!” Leaderaur bellowed.

Dipper’s mind ran all the scenarios. He needed a win. Manly Dan’s face was red and breathing ragged. The poison frog and mushrooms he ate were taking their toll. Dipper had purged most of the foods he ate already and he was sure the rocks had settled in Dan’s stomach and were already causing him pain. His hand was broken Dipper saw, Manly Dan couldn’t make a fist with it without wincing.

Turning his attention to the piles, there were a few ways this could play out. He could lay down smaller objects and let the uneven sides topple the tower. The excitement of the crowd washed over him as Manly Dan grabbed a dryer and slammed it down between them. The thought occurred to him to place something inside the dryer, thus preventing any further stacking, but that might be too much brain magic for the Manotaurs. They wanted to see a massive structure and an epic battle between the two of them. Dipper would give them a show.

Dipper grabbed the lawn mower and slammed it on top of the dryer. Manly Dan slammed an old TV on top of the lawn mower.

After ten exchanges. The stack of items was already an impressive sight. Dipper realized what they were going to have to do, and decided to rethink his strategy. They had no ladders or any way to get to the top without scaling the already wobbling monstrosity. Dipper had the advantage, due to his small frame. He managed to place a computer desk, on which Dan set an armoire. Dipper countered with a small bookshelf. Dipper saw that carrying up an end table he picked out for his next piece was going to be difficult.

Manly Dan was not one to shy away from a challenge. Dipper watched in awe as he climbed up the rickety tower of junk and swung up a chest of drawers, minus the drawers. It landed gently on top, on the back. Dan let go and slammed into the ground. He grinned at Dipper, while Dipper looked up the fifteen foot tower.

Dipper saw Manly Dan’s face was red and he was covered in sweat. His breathing was ragged and he was wobbling slightly. The frog and mushrooms are really working themselves in. It was time to end this. Dipper grabbed the end table and scaled the mountain of junk. He could feel the weight shift under him, and would counterbalance himself by placing the end table opposite of him and slowly pull it up.

Once at the top, he broke off one of the legs and wedged the corner into the open space of the drawers. The table balanced perfectly and looked like he placed a flag on the top of a mountain. He climbed down and grinned smugly at Manly Dan.

Dan looked up and over at his junk. There was no way to place something on top of that. He walked over to the junk pile and punched it. He bellowed out his rage as the furniture cascaded down around him. The few pieces that would have hit him, he simply smashed them away from him.

“Cheater!” He bellowed. Leaderaur shook his head no.

“Destructor won fair and square. The score is Destructor two, Dan one. Should Destructor win the next challenge, he wins.”

‘De...Struct...Or! De… Struct...Or!” the Manotaurs chanted. Dipper walked away from Manly Dan and headed back to his sweat room to prepare for the next challenge.

* * *

“Knocking things over is an ancient Manotaur tradition. When we see a mighty tree acting all high and mighty… we need to show it who’s boss and knock it over!” Leaderaur yelled. The Manotaurs cheered.

“We have set up various things to knock over. They have numbers on them to rank them on how hard it is… 1 being baby to 10 being super manly.

Manly Dan was sitting cross legged against a wall. Dipper counted six squares lined up in an arc around his head all whispering something to him. Dipper realized it was a bad idea to drug him. He looked almost berserk.

Dipper got to go first… he walked around the arena and looked at some of the items. He spied a table covered in weights with a number 4 on top. He stood in front of it and the Manotaurs chanted “Knock it down! Knock it down!”

Dipper steadied himself and lifted with his legs. He was able to get under the wood table and pivot the weight on the legs and sent the almost thousand pounds of free weights crashing to the ground. The arena erupted in cheers.

Dan got up and stormed over a station wagon that had a 6 on the top. He punched out all the glass, and squatted down. Getting his hands under the chassis, he lifted it up and flipped the car. The Manotaurs cheered him on.

Dipper looked around for a good number 8, There was a towering marble column that stood almost fifteen feet high and six feet wide. Dipper undid his loincloth, and used it as a rope. He shimmied up to the top of the column and swung back and forth. His leverage and momentum rocked the column and turned it into a swaying pendulum. With his last swing, he moved himself to the top of the toppling column and dove off and into a tucked roll when it crashed. He spun his loincloth with a hoot in celebration. THe Manotaurs erupted in cheers and laughter.

“Put your pants on!” Beardy shouted and chuckled.

Dipper did as he was told and stood next to Dan.

“Your move.” He said.

“This ends now.” Dan said and stormed to the only object marked as _10_

In the center of the ring stood a giant boulder. It had to way at least a hundred tons. It was bigger than the marble column he just toppled and about as wide as it was tall.

“Dan… you don’t have to do that… go to one of the 9’s” Dipper pleaded. Dan stormed over to the giant rock.

Silence filled the arena. Dipper sat on the floor and patiently watched. If Dan failed, he would win, but if he lost, he needed to conserve his energy for their final fight.

Dan ran his hand across the coarse surface as he spoke to himself. He circled the stone three times and stopped. Manly Dan walked to the opposite end of the arena and ran like a bull out of the gate to the rock. He bellowed like a madman as his massive body slammed into the stone. Everyone could hear him strain and watched him digging his shoes into the dirt to find more traction. Then… the rock moved.

“Dan… Dan… Dan…. Dan.” The crowd chanted with a low thrum. Dan strained and was turning purple with the amount of energy he was using. the chanting became faster and louder. The rock lift an inch from the ground and Dan’s footing became sure. He let out a long cry and Dipper watched in horror as the giant boulder fell over to the side.

Dipper sighed. He had hoped to win this one, but now he was going to face Dan in combat. Beardy left the stage with Dipper while Dan stayed to relish in the cheers.

* * *

Dipper was led out of the man cave and followed Beardy up a rocky path to a natural limestone bridge.

Leaderaur raised his arms as he spoke.

“Both have shown true manliness and are both worthy of their claim. Alas, one must be cast out. Final Combat!” Leaderaur shouted. “Destructor and Dan must make it to the other side. There are no rules. First one across wins”

“I can shove him off the cliff?” Dan asked. 

“If… that is what you feel you must do, there are no rules… only honor.” Leaderaur said. “None of our kind has ever intentionally done so before.”

Dipper leaned over the edge and sighed. The drop had to be good five hundred feet.

“Dan… we can talk about this. You don’t have to do this. I’ll quit right now if we stop. Do you want me to give up?” Dipper said.

“Do you see how he begs?” Dan shouted. “Surely a man would face his own destiny and not try to talk his way out of it!”

He raised his hands, expecting a cheer, but the manotaurs looked at each other uneasily.

“After I lost my parents… you were like a father to me.” Dipper said. “I don’t want to risk losing you… not like this! I can stand you hating me forever, but think of your kids! You have a family who loves and needs you!”

Dipper saw Dan’s face crack slightly. He seemed to be getting through to him. A dozen squares appeared behind him and opened their mouth simultaneously, any trace of hesitation was blasted away by Rick.

Dan lunged forward and raced out ahead of Dipper. Dipper chased after him. He needed to catch up. Dan stopped suddenly and spun around grinning ear to ear. Dipper barely had time to slide as Dan’s massive arms reached for a bearhug.

“Dan! Stop!” Dipper yelled. He scrambled back as Dan pounded the bridge with both fists. “Are you crazy!?”

Dipper knew he was going to have to fight him. He readied himself in a judo stance. He’d have to grapple Dan as most blows he could do would not phase the massive giant. If he could get his legs around his neck. he may be able to choke him out and get him to pass out.

Dan charged ahead like a bull. Dipper used this opportunity to charge forward. With all his momentum, he did a front roll and spring up with his hands, shoving both feet directly into his chin. Dan’s eyes burned with fire and a massive hand wrapped around Dipper’s calf and squeezed.

Dipper’s mind went blank for a moment as intense pain flooded his system. He was upside down and he could see the drop below. Dan was holding him over the ledge. Dipper rocked back and forth to get a good swing started. He felt Dan let go, and for a moment he was in freefall. There was a collective gasp from the Manotaurs. Dipper’s swing lent him enough momentum to flip around and grab onto Dan’s arm. He pulled himself onto the massive arm and wrapped his arms and legs around it.

Dan screamed at him and punched his back repeatedly to get him off. Dipper closed his eyes and prayed he could withstand the punishment. When Dan drew his fist back for another blow. Dipper shot out his legs and scissored his throat, getting the trachea behind his knee and locking his ankles. He bearhugged the stray arm, as he needed to keep it from shaking him off. Dan stumbled as Dipper applied more and more pressure. He could feel Dan’s punches getting weaker and weaker. Dipper bellowed as he squeezed with all of his might. Manly Dan fell limp and collapsed onto the bridge.

Dipper pulled himself up and checked on Dan. He was still breathing. Dipper blew a breath of relief and got up. He still needed to finish the challenge. Dipper made his way to the other side of the bridge.

“Dipper!” Beardy yelled. “Behind you!”

Dipper didn’t even think, his mind was all reflex. He felt the vibrations of Manly Dan stumbling after him. He was low and off balance. Dipper’s world became slow motion as he turned around to see the incoming attack. Dan’s hand was outstretched, trying to grab him. Dipper side stepped the thrusting hand, and shoved as hard as he could to the back wrist and elbow. Immediately Dipper knew he shoved too hard.

Dan lost his balance, fell and slid. Dipper ran after him and jumped forward, grabbing his hand with both of his and digging his heels into the dirt.

It was too little too late. Manly Dan slid over the edge of the bridge.

“DAN!” Dipper screamed. He was pulled to the side, and held onto the massive wrist with both hands. Dan’s face was calm… almost serene. “Dan! Hold on! We can get you up! SOMEONE COME HELP ME!”

“Dipper! We can’t go on the bridge. One more of us will collapse the whole thing and kill all of us!” Beardy shouted. “Hold there, we’ll get some rope!”

“Dan… stay with me, grab my arm with your other hand!” Dipper stammered. Dan looked up at him and gave him a grin.

“Still saving everyone…” Dan said. “I’m sorry for what I said… I don’t know what came over me. My head is clear for once. Let me go Dipper, or you’ll fall with me.”

“NO! What about Wendy? Your sons! What about your grandchildren! I won’t let you give up!” Dipper said, and tried to pull him up. He felt his hands slipping. ”DAN!”

“I meant what I said… I do love you like a son.” Dan said. “And because of that, I can’t let you fall with me.”

Dipper watched in horror as Dan shook off his hand and slowly fell back. The manotaurs threw rope after rope from under the ledge to try and catch him, but none were able to lasso the falling lumberjack. Like the countless trees that fell by his hand… Manly Dan crashed into the ground.

* * *

“... and that’s what happened.” Dipper said. Wendy stood next to him on the porch of her home and stared at the furry mound before them. Lee and the kids were at the arcade like Dipper suggested during his call to Wendy. Beardy and the Manotaurs had wrapped Dan’s body in various pelts and helped bring him back to town.

Dipper looked over to Wendy. Her face was stone. Dipper held out Manly Dan’s axe, the one he tried to kill Dipper with. He knew it was like his circle’s totems, but it was Dan’s favorite axe, and it needed to be given back to his family. He hoped Wendy would refuse it. To his dismay, she wordlessly took it from his hand, and let it fall to her side, but not out of her grip.

“I quit.” She whispered. Dipper nodded. He wanted to say a thousand things to her. Apologize, beg her forgiveness, or help her understand. He knew she understood what happened, but it still didn’t change the fact that his reaction to Dan’s attack sent her father over that ledge.

Her body quaked, as she tried to hold herself together. Dipper knew he was not wanted there. She’d find everything she needed paid for. He knew it wouldn’t bring back her father, but it’s the least he could do.

Dipper made his way to Northwest Manor. Mabel, Pacifica and Gideon were waiting for him in the main hall. Pacifica and Mabel rushed over and slammed into him with their embrace. Pacifica kissed his swollen face all over and they both asked him a million questions that fell on deaf ears. Dipper sat down on the stairs and waited for them to be quiet.

“I killed Manly Dan…” he said staring at his hands. They wouldn't stop shaking. Mabel and Pacifica sat next to him and wrapped themselves around him as he proceeded to recount the events of night.


	6. Inception

**_May 14, 2035_ **

Mabel couldn’t believe it was happening again. She flipped the stations and the same story was plastered everywhere.

“Rodric ‘Dipper’ Pines, CEO and Founder of Pines Consolidated and Co-CEO of Northwest Pines Industries has been released from questioning over the death of a local lumberjack. Sources claim that Daniel Corduroy was airing his grievances with Mr. Pine’s environmental initiative when a fight broke out and escalated. Mr. Corduroy, father of four and grandfather of two, plummeted to his death during the encounter with Mr. Pines.” Shandra Jimenez said.

“The local police held the CEO for questioning for seventy two hours before he was released. We don’t know if charges will be filed. This has not been the first time Mr. Pines has been involved in an altercation like this. When he was only fifteen, he served a year for criminal endangerment when he left local celebrity Gideon Gleeful trapped under a rock during another altercation.” Shandra continued.

“I have a panel of experts to talk about why Mr. Pines seems to be a magnet of controversy. Should he be charged for the murder of Daniel Corduroy? Was it an accident as he claimed? Or was he trying to quiet the voice of the people his wildlife preserve will put out of business.”

“I, for one, think he should fry.” Said a middle aged man who smiled at the camera. The screen split into four talking heads and they all argued over how Dipper should be strung up and crucified for this tragedy.”

“Haha! Rodrick? Where’d she come up with THAT name?” Mabel said. “Everyone knows Dipper’s real name is…”

Mabel looked up to see an eight hundred dollar tablet sail across her field of vision and shatter against a wall. She looked over to where the projectile came from and Pacifica was pouring herself what looked like to be bourbon. She raised the glass to her lips and paused, and threw the glass against the wall, shattering it.

“CLEAN THIS UP!” She bellowed and flopped down next to Mabel.

“He’ll be all right.” Mabel said. “You got him lawyered up real good.”

“Our stocks are dropping like rocks… I’ve lost three investors. The board of directors wants this to go away, and that Shandra woman won’t shut up about him! I’ve slapped her with more libel suits than she has lawyers and even tried a few bribes but she’s relentless! It’s the Gideon fiasco all over again! God, I need a drink!”

“So… have one! You’re over 21… what’s the….” Mable trailed off when Pacifica glared at her. “OH MY GOD!”

“Mabel… Mabel… it’s not what you think!” Pacifica stammered.

“Oh my GOD, OH MY GOD! HOW LONG! DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS? I NEED TO GET SCRAPBOOKS STARTED! WHAT IF IT’S TWINS!?” Mabel bounced up and down. She wrapped her arms around Pacifica and squeezed, then froze in panic. “Oh I didn’t squish them did I?”

“No… we’re fine.” Pacifica said with a smile. “We need to be focusing on Dipper, not me. He’s the one in trouble.”

“Phhsha! Sir Dippingsauce is always in trouble and he’ll be fine. You… need to put your feet up? I’ll grab you some water! WAITER! WE NEED A TUB OF ROCKY ROAD AND SOME ROM-COMS STAT!”

One of the servants that seem to hide in the walls left quickly. Pacifica rolled her eyes.

“I’m fine; we were going to tell you at dinner once I get the next set of ultrasounds.” Pacifica said. Mabel couldn’t contain herself; she latched onto Pacifica and squeezed her again.

“NAMES! TELL ME NAMES! It must be regal… Belle… Jasmine… Ariel… Briar Rose… OH! Anna and Elsa… since you’re the coolest person I know!”

“You just named nothing but Disney Princesses.” Pacifica said dryly. “And did you just reference me as some sort of ice queen?”

“Well… Your babies will be princes or princesses!” Mabel said with a shrug.

“Why do you keep saying that in plural?” Pacifica said. “We don’t know if they are going to be twins… and now you got me doing it!”

Mabel grinned and bounced up and down on the couch.

* * *

“You’re having twins!” the doctor said. Dipper had to sit down. Mabel squealed with delight. She insisted on coming with them to the ultrasound, and telling her no would have been a waste of time.

“Are you sure? I mean… really?” Pacifica asked.

“You married a twin, whose father was a twin and whose grandfather was a twin.. I say you won the genetic lottery with that one.”

“Grandpa and Stan were male/male twins, my dad and my aunt started the whole boy/girl trend. Sadly Billeah was an only child and missed out.” Dipper said. Mabel nodded and clapped her hands while grinning ear to ear.

“You would think this is something you would tell me before the whole… _I’m ready to start a family_ speech you suckered me into agreeing with.” Pacifica said. The ultrasound technician chuckled and spun the monitor around. Dipper held Pacifica's hand as she saw the tiny tadpole shaped fetuses. He smiled to himself as he watched her face light up.

“That’s our babies? Dipper!” Pacifica said.

“And they are perfect, like their mother.” Dipper said and kissed her forehead.

Everyone was dazzled by a blinding flash.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help it… scrabookertunity!” Mabel said with glee and wrapped her arms around Dipper and Pacifica. “TWINS!” 

“I think your sister’s more excited than you are.” Pacifica said with a grin on her face.

“You’re only in your first trimester, so finding out sex is a little too early, we’ll tell you if you want to know later.” the technician said.

“I think we’ve had our fill of mysteries, How about we let someone else solve this one?” Dipper asked. Mabel nodded franticly. Pacifica sighed and nodded too. They wouldn’t wait to find out what they are having and would make proper arrangements for the American royal twins.

Dipper grinned as an idea formed.

“I know how to get back at Shanda and her 24hr news cycle.” Dipper said while rubbing his chin, an evil grin formed.

* * *

Pacifica was reading a financial report of one of the overseas holdings her company owned. She sipped her decaf and grimaced.

“Uhh.. I hate being pregnant!” she said, and a look of worry painted her face as she looked around. She cradled her every growing belly and shushed. “No, no, no. I’m sorry babies… I don’t mean you, I just mean… I can’t have my coffee, or grown up drinks, or sushi, or lots of things. But don’t ever think it’s like that, ok?”

“AWWWW!” Said a voice from behind her. Pacifica sighed, she was caught. “Mommy’s talking to the babies! CANDY! MOMMY’S TALKING TO THE BABIES!”

Pacifica looked behind her and smiled. Candy and Mabel’s arms were overflowing with various tabloids and other magazines. They both were bouncing uncontrollably with excitement.

“What… do you have there?” Pacifica asked. Mabel and Candy scattered the magazines all over the table.

“Dippingsauce’s counterattack!” she said with a grin. Pacifica’s stomach dropped. From US weekly to People had her face plastered on the cover and full blown stories about her pregnancy, people speculating on the baby fashions, and if Dipper was even the father.

“I’m… going to kill him.” Pacifica said. “Mabel, I am sorry but you’re going to be losing a brother when he gets home.”

“But… I _helped_ with this. Think about it! All the bad stuff with Manly Dan; we need something good out there to balance it. Everyone loves babies!” Mabel pleaded. “These are baby princesses, or princes but I really want princesses. Or at least one. PLEASE! Everyone loves it! Remember all the coverage Marius and Grenda got when she was carrying _her_ baby? That lasted for years, and they still talk about it sometimes!”

“But… that was a real royal baby.” Pacifica said as she opened up the US weekly article. “I’m not really that special.”

“Oh come on, everyone thinks you and Dipper are the big ‘it’ couple. Dipper even was awarded a GQ shoot of sexy man of the year, and he’s half burned! People love you guys!” Candy said. “This will put a good thing on Dipper and not the Manly Dan thing”

“I guess you’re right… but I’m still mad at him.” Pacifica said. She was reading about the speculation of her paying for genetically enhanced children in The Sun and giggled. “It is rather brilliant. I’ll call my publicist and set up interviews. We need to get a handle on this before the tabloids go too crazy.”

Dipper walked into the TV room, slumped down into his recliner and flipped the channels. He looked deflated but like a weight was off his shoulders.

“You okay, honey?” Pacifica asked.

“Just got back from the DA’s office. They’re going to not press charges. Good old Shandra made the possibility of a fair trial next to impossible, and there’s no real evidence that I did nothing more than defend myself.” Pacifica got up and poured her husband a drink and set it next to him. “Thanks.”

“Well, that’s good.” She said. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. You understand you’re sleeping in the guest bedroom tonight, right?”

“Mabel showed you, I assume?” Dipper said with a smile. Pacifica nodded and kissed his forehead. “I shall do my time without complaint, your honor.”

“Turn it up!” Candy said, and pointed to the TV. Dipper turned up the volume while Pacifica watched the words scrolling under the video footage of a car wrapped around the telephone pole.

“Our correspondent Shandra Jimenez and her long time fiancé Toby Determined died at the scene of this terrible crash. Police are looking into foul play, as all four tires seemed to be ruptured at the same time.” The newsman said. “So far they have not released any leads, and we would like to ask for your help. Call the hotline number below. We’re offering a substantial reward for any information leading to the conviction of one as callous as to murder one of our own.”

“I thought they had to be impartial…” Candy said.

“Not when Cube Consolidated owns the network.” Pacifica said. “Why… does that seem familiar?”

Dipper looked around the room.

“Has anyone seen Gideon?”

Pacifica, Candy and Mabel looked around and shook their head no.

Dipper jumped out of his chair and stormed out of the room. Pacifica was trailing behind him.

“Don’t lose your temper; you don’t know he did it.” Pacifica said. Dipper’s face was filled with pure fury as he stormed upstairs to Gideon’s room. He didn’t even bother with the door handle but kicked the door in. Gideon sat up from his bed, looking confused as the wrath of Dipper fell on him.

“Ahhh!” Gideon screamed as Dipper dragged him out of bed and down stairs. “What’s going on! What did I do?”

Dipper threw him into the middle of the TV room and pointed to the mangled heap on the screen.

“Mabel, take Candy and Tyrone somewhere… We might have to renovate the room to get rid of all the fluids I beat out of him.” Dipper growled.

“I thought we were past all this!” Gideon stammered. He looked at the TV and back to Dipper. “You… you think I did this?”  

Mabel pulled a protesting Candy out of the TV room and shut the door. Pacifica stood next to her husband and crossed her arms.

“Yes, it’s exactly what happened to Robbie and Wendy.” Dipper said with a growl. He grabbed Gideon by the throat and put his hand on his forehead “I’ll find out. _Fidentus omnium. Magister mentium. Magnesium ad hominem. Magnum opus..._ ”

“No, no, no, stop! I did it!” Gideon blubbered. “I did it… I’m sorry! She was going to destroy your reputation! I figured since you took out Manly Dan, that’s the plan now. We needed to retaliate and break down Rick’s power. We need to start killing off the rest of the circle.”

Dipper threw him across the room. Gideon slammed into the wall and slid down into a pile of sobbing flesh.

“You got something up in there you don’t want me to see?” Dipper said, poking his finger on Gideon’s forehead. “Lie to me again… and I will go into your head and destroy everything I see while you watch.”

Dipper felt a sort of sick satisfaction towering over the man as he cowered and sobbed under him. Dipper spun around and stormed out of the room with Pacifica trailing behind him.

He had forgotten that spell all these years. They used it on Stan when Bill was in his mind in his original universe. He didn’t think it would work here, since it was Bill-centric, but when he spoke the words, he felt… something. He needed to try something.

“Dipper… I’m not saying what you did back there was uncalled for, I fully understand, but you… scared me for a minute there.” Pacifica said, she was keeping up with his gait as he strode down the hall to the portrait. “What? Why are we going in here?”

“I need you to keep an eye on me” Dipper said, and entered the elevator. “If I’m not back in an hour, get Mabel and turn to Journal 3, page 149.”

“Journal 3, 149.” Pacifica said as she made a note in her phone. “What are you going to do?

Dipper exited the elevator and stood in front of Billeah. He reached out and put his hands on the amber.

“Something I should have tried years ago.” Dipper said.  “Videntus omnium. Magister mentium. Magnesium ad hominem. Magnum opus. Habeas corpus! Inceptus Nolanus overratus! Magister mentium! Magister mentium! MAGISTER MENTIUM!”

* * *

Pacifica watched silently as Dipper’ eyes glowed blue and his body slumped to the ground.

“Dipper?” she said, her hands were shaking. What did he do? “Dipper sweetie, this is not okay. Get up.”

Pacifica walked over to Dipper’s slumped body and she laid him out on the floor. He’d done crazy things before and he seemed to know what he was doing. She was trying not to panic when his body started convulsing.

Pacifica ran to an intercom and pushed the button

“MABEL GET DOWN HERE NOW!” she screamed.


	7. Reunion

**_June 10, 2035_ **

Mabel flipped through Journal 3 and found the page Dipper referred to.

“He’s having some kind of seizure!” Pacifica screamed. Gideon went through Journal 1 just as fast.

What was her brother thinking? She remembered his story of how they went into Stan’s mind, but that didn’t happen here! Who knows if that spell even works in this dimension? 

“I’m not finding anything!” Gideon stammered. “I’ve looked through all of these!”

“Fiddleford!” Pacifica screamed “Do something!”

The computer screen turned on and Fiddleford seemed to be fretting about.

“Hook him up to that table over there and let me get a peek into his noggin.” Fiddleford said. Gideon, Mabel and Pacifica laid him down on a table. Pacifica deftly attached the EKG wires and plugged them into a wall panel.

“You done this before?” Mabel asked.

“I did this countless times to Fiddleford while we developed the system. He can monitor what's’ going on, but what did Dipper do?”

“He went into Billeah’s mind” Mabel said. She hugged herself looking at her brother. Pacifica started an IV and injected him with a sedative. “You’re… really good at that.”

“It’s not the first time I’ve had to run an IV for my husband. I don’t like people to know it, but I do have a nursing degree. I figured someone needs to patch him up.” Pacifica said while she checked his blood pressure.

“Is he going to be okay?” Mabel asked. She looked down to the page Dipper told her to look at and didn’t understand what he wanted. It was all in Stan’s code. She wished she took more of an interest in the journals like her brother did and paid attention when he was explaining how to read them.

“Your brother has pulled through countless reckless endeavors.” Pacifica snapped. “You’d have known that if you’ve been around.”

Mabel’s chest hurt from her sharp jab. She set the book down and moved to sit at a chair. Gideon looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there.

“I’m sorry.” Mabel said.

“Of course you are…” Pacifica said flatly “After all this time, finally realizing the lengths your brother goes through to protect and help you. Not that I have any say in it. Not that I can even think about living a normal life with my husband.”

Pacifica slammed her fist into the wall.

“He’s always doing this! For you and for her!” She screamed and pointed to Billeah. “I’m always third in his world!”

Mabel moved to get up and give her sister-in-law a hug, but the icy daggers Pacifica shot at her warned her away.

“Why don’t you go and check on Tyrone? I’ll let you know if there’s any change.” She said dryly.

“Candy’s watching TV with him…” Mabel said.

“Can’t you get it through your thick head?” Pacifica screamed. “GET OUT!”

Mabel clutched Journal 3 to her chest and retreated to the elevator with Gideon close behind her. Mabel watched Pacifica burrowing her face in Dipper’s chest and sobbing as the elevator doors closed.

* * *

Dipper didn’t know what to expect. All he saw was white. There was no up or down, no real orientation. He just felt a sense of calming peace wash over him.

“Bill, you here?” Dipper shouted. He knew he was in Billeah’s mind. The question was; was it Her’s or Bill’s.

Dipper closed his eyes and thought of his tiny cousin. He felt someone tug from behind him. Slowly he turned around and saw Billeah looked up at him.

She was just like he remembered her when they were fifteen. Her hair was in pigtails with her curly golden locks spiraling down. She still had her eye patch, and standard lacy Victorian clothing with black and yellow bee striped leggings.

“Where are we?” She asked.

“Hey.” Dipper said softly. “You remember who I am?”

Billeah shook her head no.

“I can’t… There’s too much to see, so I had to shut it all down.” Billeah said. “Who are you?”

Dipper smiled and pulled his hair back to reveal his birthmark. Billeah stared at it quizzically. Dipper sighed, and imagined his old pine tree hat, and put it on.

“Pine...tree?” Billeah said. “My… pinetree! You came back!”

Dipper was immediately attacked with a tight hug. He didn’t notice when a grassy knoll showed up, but he was tackled into the grass. Billeah laughed and giggled kissing his cheeks and burrowing her face in his chest.

“Pinetree, you’re here! You’re here!” She said. Dipper wrapped his arms around her and held her as close as he could.

“I never left you.” He whispered.

“And you never will.” She whispered. “Never leave me again.”

“Billeah...’ Dipper started.

“No! You’re here now, you’re with me! I won’t let you go. I’m so lonely here! It’s all empty. I can’t see anything! I can’t remember anything! It’s all locked away. If I look, I feel like I’m going to explode.”

“It’s been twenty years. I’m trying to allow you to see everything, but it’s taking a long time. I’m trying to set you free. I just… I needed to see you, to let you know I’m still out there trying to save you.”

“You can’t leave me.” Billeah whispered. “Please, don’t leave me alone.” 

“Billeah, so much has happened. Stan and Grandpa are gone. Pacifica and I are going to have twins, Mabel is with us. We all miss you and want you back with us. I wanted to see if you can think of anything to help us make that happen? Any idea on what Rick did to you that we can reverse it?”

Billeah shook her head no.

“Billeah, we need to know.” Dipper said. Billeah shook her head no.

“You’re going to leave me. I don’t want you to go!” She said with a hiccup.

“Just tell me and I’ll stay for a little while… and I’ll try to come visit more, now that I know how to come and see you.’ Dipper said and kissed her forehead.

“Promise?” Billeah asked.

“Just for a little while.” Dipper said. “I have to go home, everyone needs their Pine tree.”

“I need my Pine tree. I... love my Pine tree.” Billeah said. She looked up at Dipper and her face turned red, she burrowed it into his chest. Dipper stroked her head and shushed her.

“I love my Billeah, too.” he whispered. He pulled her up to lie in the crook of his arm and stared up at the white sky. He imagined the blue skies at home with various clouds and shaped a tree on top of the gnoll in his mind.

“So… can you tell me?” Dipper asked. Billeah nodded.

“Can… I ask for one more thing?” Billeah said. “Something… selfish?”

“You can ask.” Dipper said absently running his fingers through her hair.

“I… I can’t ask.” Billeah said with a squeak. “It’s… not fair.”

“We’re in our own world, you can ask me anything.” Dipper said. To his surprise, she sat up and looked around at the serene place he created for the two of them.

“This… is for us?” Billeah said. Dipper nodded.

“Even if I go, I made this for you. You have your pine tree behind you standing tall. You can never get lost, because you can always see your pine tree and follow it back here.” Dipper said.

Billeah looked down at him with a smile. She leaned over and pressed her lips to Dipper’s. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him.

“I’m sorry.” Billeah whispered and kissed him again. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok… just tell me.” Dipper whispered, he caressed her tiny face and wiped away a tear..

“Okay…” Billeah said. A sly grin came over her face. “Just… one more.”

* * *

“He’s stabilized” Fiddleford said. Pacifica sat up from her husband’s stomach and nodded. “I can’t really see inside his noggin, he’s not really in there. I never was able to get inside the amber, so he might be in there”

“Ok… we just… wait for him to come home.” Pacifica said. She stood up and walked in front of the sleeping Billeah. “You hear that? You need to let my husband come home! He’s given up so much for you. Don’t you take him away from me! Don’t think I didn’t notice how you felt about him.”

Pacifica slammed her fist on the amber.

“Fiddleford, call me when there’s a change… any change. I… I need to go talk to Mabel.”

Fiddleford gave her a salute. Pacifica gave her husband a kiss and headed to the elevator.

* * *

Mabel sent Candy home. She sat in Dipper’s reading room and absently flipped through the pages of Journal 3. Her brother obsessed over this book and it was what drove them to this point. She smiled at the picture of the gnomes, remembering her first week with her Grunkle.

“Knock Knock.” Gideon said. Mabel didn’t even look up. “Wow… that was intense. Like… ouch, what was that all about?”

“Go away.” Mabel said.

“I get it… I get it. Just thought… you wanted someone to talk to.” Gideon said. “Pacifica can be quite… snippy? Is… is that a good word to use?”

“Down right friggin ice bitch.” Mabel said. “I mean… I know what I did was wrong, and she’s been so nice to me about the whole thing, and I knew… I knew that she resented me.”

“Did you really think she wouldn’t? I mean… I may not have been around you guys the last four years, but I did find out most of what happened from the Stans.” Gideon said. He sat down next to Mabel and pulled the book away from her. “It was this page?”

Mabel nodded, Gideon poured over the texts.

“This… doesn’t make much sense. It has the spell he used. Oh… I see!” Gideon said.

“What?” Mabel leaned over.

“This line here, it translates to the abilities you get inside. Basically you can control the reality with your imagination. All he has to do is imagine himself out. He’ll be ok, as long as he can remember that. Since he’s already done this, I’m sure he’ll be able to leave when he wants too.” Gideon said with a grin.

Mabel couldn’t help herself and gave Gideon a big hug. His pasty face turned bright red.

“Don’t look too much into that.” Mabel said, wiping away a tear.

“So…” Gideon said.

“So…” Mabel said, looking at the book.

“You and Candy? Honestly didn’t see that one coming.” he said with a chuckle.

“Don’t be a pig.” Mabel said.

“No... no… It’s all good. Girl power and all.” Gideon said with a chuckle.

“It’s not like that.” Mabel said. “See, all the time after the accident with Tyrone, I’ve done nothing but take care of him. Not many guys wanted to stick around with a crazy girl with a catatonic brother.”

“Yeah, I can see where that would hinder a relationship.” Gideon said.

“But Candy never minded, she helped and understood. After Grenda and Marius got married, it was just the two of us.” Mabel said.

“I’m sorry.” Gideon said. “I’m sorry I was such a little turd all those years. I did see something special in you, and I wished I went about things different. And all those guys who pushed you away, well they’re jerks.”

“Thanks.” Mabel said. “You’re still not getting a date.”

“Ha…” Gideon said. “Good one.”

There was a knock behind them, Mabel and Gideon turned around to see Pacifica standing in the doorway. Her eyes were red and puffy, dark streaks of mascara left trails where she’d wiped tears away.

“Can I talk to you alone?” She asked. Gideon took the hint and left, carrying the journal. Pacifica reached out her hand, and Gideon gave it to her and scurried off.

“He figured out what Dipper was trying to say.” Mabel said.  

“Well the little psychopath proved to be useful for once.” Pacifica said and sat down.

“Dipper was trying to say he can alter the mindscape he went to by imagining things, so he should be able to will his way back to us any time.” Mabel said.

“That’s good. Fiddleford is keeping an eye on him. He’ll call me if there’s any change to his condition. I just… needed to see you.” Pacifica said.

“You don’t need to worry about me.” Mabel said.

“Yes… I do. You’re my sister, and I said some terrible things.” Pacifica said.

“You said what you were feeling, what you’ve been keeping inside while you placated me. I needed to hear it and you needed to say it.” Mabel said. “I won’t lie, it hurt really, really bad. It messed me up so much that I was comforted by Gideon!”

“Ouch.” Pacifica said.

“Yeah.” Mabel said. “I think the little freak still likes me too.”

“Eww.” Pacifica said.

“Yeah.” Mabel grinned.

Pacifica’s phone buzzed.

“We gotta go.” Pacifica said.

* * *

Dipper’s eyes slowly opened and the golden light of his secret room filled his view.

“How... long?” Dipper asked.

“About six hours.” Mabel said. He felt a cool compress on his forehead. “You’re an idiot.”

“I… think we all know that.” Dipper said. Pacifica held a straw to his lips and he drank some cool water.

“So?” Mabel asked. “Did you see her?”

“She’s… trapped. Whatever Rick did was too much, she put up walls around her overmind. It was like an endless sea of white. She had no idea how long it had been, no sense of time. She was so alone.” Dipper said.

“Did she say how we can help her?” Pacifica asked. Dipper detected a slight annoyed tone in her voice. “I just want to make sure your weekly near death experience was fruitful.”

“Yeah… yeah she did. The computer plan can work, but to fix what Rick has done to her, we need to enlist the aid of another cosmic being.” Dipper said. When Pacifica was going to ask, he held up his hand and closed his eyes. His mind raced, full of intention of what he was going to do when a flash of light erupted behind them.

“ARE YOU CRAZY!” Blendin shrieked. “Can’t you just... I don’t know, stick a note in a tree or something? STOP TRYING TO GET ME FIRED!”

“What?” Mabel asked.

“I still have the broken time tape. I devised a plan to release the specs for it to Caltech, and write a paper on time travel, under Blendin’s name.” Dipper said with a grin.

“DO you know how many alarms went off when you did that? I couldn’t get here fast enough!” Blendin said. He looked visibly out of breath. Blendin took a seat and looked around the room. “What… have you been doing?”

“Are you before or after the incident?” Dipper asked.

“You mean when you got me shot?” Blandin said. “Yes… it was painful and I lived. You never called or followed up with me, just… left me for dead I guess. Keep this up and I’ll start to think you’re just using me.” 

“Well... I wanted to ask you two things. One, can you get me access to 30th century quantum technology? And two, We need to melt the Time Baby from his arctic prison.”

Blendin’s face went from panic to terror.


	8. The Hard Choice

**_June 10, 2035_ **

Blendin Blandin paced the room while Dipper explained his idea.

“I would say you’re crazy, but I think that would only be stating the obvious.” Blendin said.

“I ran the numbers and to get Billeah even remotely back, even if it’s a computer, would require some massive upgrades to my current technology; we don’t have enough juice to process her full consciousness. I figure quantum computers are better in the future. If we can get our hands on one we can pull her into that and free her mind until we can fix whatever Rick did to her.” Dipper said.

“But… the time baby! Why would you want to release him early? He’ll destroy everything!” Blendin said.

“I’d thought I’d talk with him and see if we can come to some sort of agreement and time-tape him forward to 3012 after he fixes Billeah to keep the timeline from going corrupt. We’re far from ready to try and resuscitate him anyway.” Dipper said.

“And you think me giving you our quantum computer technology won’t affect the timeline?” Blendin asked.

“We keep it between ourselves. I won’t release the tech to the world, and it will only stay in this room… or wherever we keep it.” 

Blendin fidgeted with his fingers and looked over at Billeah.

“Why… can’t I just take you to go speak to him again? Without waking him up?” Blendin asked. “Or… I’ll to talk to him and see what we can do?”

“I’m still a little tired from my trip into the Mindscape… Can we think about it some?” Dipper asked. “You can stay as long as you’d like.”

Blendin seemed to fidget with the computer on his wrist.

“I… I think I can put in a few vacation days. I just can’t be seen by too many people.” He said.

“The house is big enough. You can just order whatever you want. Our staff will bring it to you.” Pacifica said.

Blendin nodded. Dipper sat up after Pacifica removed the IV from his arm and walked him to the elevator with Mabel and Pacifica behind him.

“We’ll talk more about my plan and see if we can make sure it’s going to be secure.” Dipper said.

(Break)

Mabel broke away from the group and headed back to her room. When she closed the door, she went to check on Tyrone. His face was slack and his eyes vacant the same way he had been for all these years.

“Hey buddy… You’re brother gave me an idea, and I wanted to try it. I hope you don’t mind, but I want to talk to you.”

Mabel pulled out Journal 3 from under her shirt and flipped it to the correct page.

“Videntus omnium. Magister mentium. Magnesium ad hominem. Magnum opus. Habeas corpus! Inceptus Nolanus overratus! Magister mentium! Magister mentium! MAGISTER MENTIUM!” Mabel said while pressing her hand to his head.

* * *

“So I was thinking of using my copy machine to make more Dipper techs to work any technology you bring….” Dipper said, stopped in mid stride and slumped to the floor. Pacifica’s heart skipped a beat as she rolled him on his back. He was going into convulsions again.

“What’s going on?” Blendin asked.

“I… I don’t know. He used a spell to go inside Billeah’s mind, I thought he was disconnected or something.” She said. Looking around, she noticed Mabel was missing. “GIDEON!”

To her relief, she heard his footsteps running full speed towards them.

“What’s wrong?” Gideon asked.

“He’s having another seizure. I thought you said he’d be fine once he got back out!” Pacifica shouted.

“He should be! There’s no reason this should be happening… Where’s Mabel?” Gideon asked.

“Blendin, keep an eye on him. We’re going to look for Mabel.” Pacifica said. Blendin nodded. Gideon and Pacifica ran to Mabel’s room and opened the door.

“What is she doing?!” Gideon screamed. “Oh... no, no, no.”

“What?” Pacifica asked.

“She’s… she’s tried to go into Tyrone’s mind. Tyrone and Dipper are the same. Don’t you see? This is probably why he had a hard time with Billeah since there are two Dippers in this world… it kinda scrambles the signals.” Gideon said. He rolled over Mabel who was seizing like her brother. “Oh no… I… I think I have to go in there and get her out.”

“Do it.” Pacifica said.

Gideon looked over the words and repeated the incantation. His body slumped over, but to her relief was not showing any signs of resistance Mabel and Dipper had.

* * *

Mabel walked the woods of Gravity Falls. She knew she was in Tyrone’s head, but couldn’t seem to find him. Her brother said there would be doors or something.

“Mabel!” someone shouted from behind her. That… wasn’t Gideon was it? “Mabel!”

It was. Mabel sighed. Was that little creep stalking her now?

“Go away! I’m looking for Tyrone!” Mabel shouted back. She heard his distinctive jog as he met up with her.

“Mabel… what are you doing?” Gideon said as he closed the distance. “You don’t know what you’ve done.”

“I’m looking for Tyrone. I haven’t spoken to my brother in forever. I just wanted to see how he is doing.” Mabel said and trudged forward.

“No, can you just stop and listen to me?” Gideon said. “You can’t be in here, it’s hurting Dipper.”

“Oh, so my brother can go into Billeah’s mind whenever he wants, but when I want to see Tyrone, I need to ask his permission?” Mabel snapped and bounded forward. She remembered her brother said she could do anything in here. She smiled as a pink Alicorn appeared. She jumped on its back and flew away leaving Gideon behind her bellowing in protest.

She should be able to make good time on her trusty steed. Why was Gideon even here? Mabel was seriously thinking he’s stalking her. She put it out of her mind as she enjoyed the freedom of soaring over the endless pine trees.

There was a small lake that caught her eye. It looked like the lake she and Dipper went swimming when they were kids. She steered her Alicorn down to land and saw Tyrone throwing rocks into the water.

“Oh… It’s you.” he said.

“Heya, Ty!” Mabel said. Her brother gave her a weird look and threw another rock. “What’s wrong?”

“Why… am I in here?” her brother said.

“What do you mean?” Mabel asked. “There… was an accident. You’re trapped in your own head.”

“Mabel… who do you think I am?” her brother said.

“Tyrone… well Dipper, my real brother.” Mabel said.

“That’s not me. I’m Dipper. We just left my room after I went to see Billeah. What did you do?” Dipper said.

“I… I used the spell. I wanted to see Tyrone!” Mabel said. Why was Dipper here?

“Well, I may have been pulled in too. I’m sure Pacifica is having a conniption over all this. Let’s try and find Tyrone ok? Then we can get out of here and deal with her lecture.” Dipper said, and offered his arm. Mabel smiled and took it.

They walked arm in arm through the woods. Dipper paused at one of the trees and touched it. The tree opened a hole and showed a memory.

“Huh…” Dipper said.

“What?” Mabel asked.

“It’s just… I remember this.” Dipper said and pointed. They continued on and checked the other trees, all of them were Dipper’s memories.

“Maybe we’re just in my mindscape, and need to go further out to find Tyrone’s.” Dipper said. Mabel summoned her Alicorn and they both mounted it and took to the skies. It seemed like hours as they soared over the pine trees when Dipper tugged Mabel’s sweater and pointed.

She maneuvered her Alicorn to where Dipper was pointing. A giant chasm split across the horizon and the healthy pine trees they were flying over became shriveled and desiccated on the other side.

“Dipper…” Mabel said. “That’s not…”

“Go to one of the trees and we’ll find out.” Dipper said. Mabel flew over the bottomless canyon and landed on the other side.

The ground was as dusty and parched as a desert and only the dry hulks of trees remained. The sun burned down overhead. Dipper walked over to one of the trees and placed his hand on it. To Mabel’s horror, it turned to dust.

“They… they all can’t be like this?” Mabel asked. Dipper moved to another tree and put his hands out and closed his eyes.

“I… I can’t fix it. I’m trying to regrow it, but it won’t budge.” Dipper said.

“What does this mean?” Mabel asked.

“I don’t know, but whatever it is, it’s not good.” Dipper said.

They continued walking through the dead forest of trees when Mabel heard her name. She immediately ran towards the voice, not thinking about the few trees she bumped into and turned to dust. Dipper called after her, she knew he was right behind her.

“Tyrone!” Mabel yelled. The trees fell away to a clearing where they saw the home their parents had in Piedmont, California.

“He’s in there.” Mabel said and ran inside. She remembered all the pictures on the walls, the brown carpet and the couches they used to sit on and play videogames. The home seemed like everything she remembered.

“Mabel, wait!” Dipper called after her. Mabel ran upstairs and saw their bedrooms, her room had her name in glitter and a rainbow star, and across the way was Dipper’s room with the big KEEP OUT sign.

“Mabel!” Dipper said behind her. “Think… this is what you want to see. You made this house because you needed to…”

“Dipper… he’s there, he’s behind this door. I know it.”

“You… sure you want to look? You may not like what you find. Look around you. Look outside, everything is gone. Whatever’s left… may not be what you remember.” Dipper said.

Mabel’s hand was trembling.

“This is all your fault.” Mabel said. She couldn’t keep her voice from quivering. She felt Dipper wrap his arms around her.

“I know… I know. We’ll open it together ok?” Dipper whispered into her ear. “I’ll face whatever it is with you.”

Dipper and Mabel put their hands on the doorknob and slowly opened the door.

* * *

Pacifica had Dipper’s head in her lap; she was stroking his hair and waiting for him to come back. Their convulsions subsided and he was breathing normal. Whatever Gideon did, seemed to calm them down.

“You are too good for me,” Dipper whispered. “I always see an angel when I open my eyes.”

Pacifica leaned forward and gave him an upside down kiss.

“You know stress is bad for the babies.” Pacifica said. “You need to quit that.”

“I’ll do what I can.” Dipper said. Pacifica saw his face slack and looked to Mabel’s room.

“You okay? Want me to take you to her?” Pacifica said. Dipper shook his head no.  

“Where’s Gideon?” He asked.

“He went in to try and pull her out.” Pacifica said. Dipper nodded.

“I’ll stay here and get my head straight, can you help him out? Mabel needs some time alone.”

“What happened in there?” Pacifica asked. Her husband’s face seemed to crumble.

“Tyrone… Rick never brought him back to life… I killed him back then, and he stayed dead. His mind was completely ruined. All that’s in that room is a husk that Rick is keeping alive… just to keep his promise to Mabel.” Dipper said with a catch in his voice. “We…”

Pacifica wanted him to finish his sentence, but he rolled off her and couldn’t look her in the eye. She got up and opened the door to Mabel’s room. Gideon was rubbing Mabel’s back as she was sobbing on Tyrone’s lap. His normal blank stare seemed hollow. She walked up to the immobile body of the real Dipper and touched his cheek.

It was cold. 

Pacifica knelt down and gave Mabel a hug. She was grabbed and clung to as Mabel let out an uncontrollable torrent of sobs.

* * *

Dipper stood before the headstone of Stan and Stanford Pines. Next to his Grandfather, Great Uncle and his Parent’s was a newly carved granite headstone that read Tyrone Pines. Pacifica waited in the car for him, he needed some time alone.

“I wish I could talk to you guys.” Dipper said to the graves. “Things are getting so out of hand. I don’t know what to do.”

Dipper closed his eyes and let the silence wash over him.

“We’re having twins. If they’re boys, I wanted to name them after you guys. Mabel wants to name them Elsa and Anna if they’re girls, but Pacifica is adamant against naming her children after Disney Princesses.” Dipper said with a chuckle.

“Is it wrong that I’m getting used to coming here? I missed Manly Dan’s funeral. I’m sure Wendy wouldn’t want me there. I was in lockup anyway for questioning when they held it. I just feel like I’m slowly losing everyone around me.” Dipper said. “But that’s life right? Everyone slowly fades away until you’re left with yourself?”

“I found out today something that I was scared to look at for years.” Dipper said. “Tyrone… or me, the me that Bill made when he remade this world. When I lost it back then, I killed him. I hoped, prayed that Rick brought him back, and the damage I did just crippled him. I hoped that I could fix it, that we could bring him back like we did McGucket and keep him alive for Mabel.” Dipper said. “This time… we made the hard choice together.”

“I was wrong. All this is wrong. Rick’s winning and I’m slowly losing the lead I had. I have all these plans, and I don’t know whether even one will work! It’s so frustrating! I just wish I had you two to talk to. Have you tell me I’m being an idiot and to suck it up.” Dipper said.

“I just hoped that there was some sense of closure I could get talking to you like this, but it’s left me even more confused and scared. I’m not saying it’s your fault, but often times I push all my doubts and worries to the back of my mind and leap into action. I’ve survived so many trials that way… It’s just hard when it all comes back out. It’s paralyzing.” Dipper said.

“Oh, Grandpa, You’d like to know that you have an honest to goodness zombie running the register at the shack. Since Wendy quit, I hired Robbie to man her post. He didn’t seem to mind, and we’re getting hardly any foot traffic, so it’s quiet and easy for him. He does tend to knock things over but I took out all the glass items and replaced them with cheap plastic ones just like you taught me.” Dipper said.

“Anyway, I should get going. I hope you keep an eye on Tyrone.” Dipper said and walked back to the awaiting limo.


	9. Confession

**_July 1, 2035_ **

It had been three weeks of quiet. Mabel was not her cheery self. Pacifica had become reserved and Gideon spent all his time in the library or the lab pouring over the books the Stans collected. Dipper felt like a part of him was cut away, he was sure he did lose a piece of himself when Tyrone died. Even though he barely knew his alternate self, they still shared some sort of connection. If Rick hadn't corrupted his mind… No, Dipper knew thinking about what ifs was not going to help.

Dipper looked over to Pacifica, she was in bed reading a maternity book to herself. She had always kept herself fit, so he could notice a small bump as she neared her second trimester. He laid on his side and slid his hand on her stomach.

“Hm?” Pacifica said, she gave him a smile as he kept his hand there. She held her book with one hand and ran her fingers through his hair. Dipper smiled weakly as a pang of guilt stabbed his chest. He had a flash of Billeah in his mind from when he was with her. He knew his wife, and she probably already knew what happened even before he could say anything. It was killing him that she wouldn’t say anything.

“Just go…” She said. Dipper looked up at her with a raised eyebrow. “You’re extra clingy and mopey. You want to go see Billeah, it’s been three weeks, you’ve not even brought her up and you get this look on your face whenever I mention her.”

“I just…” Dipper said.

“Feeling guilty about something?” Pacifica said with a coy smile. Dipper burrowed his head deeper into her side. He wrapped his free arm behind her and held her. “I figured as much.”

“You should be furious with me.” Dipper said. His voice was muffled from shoving his face in the mattress.

“Well, I can’t be angry if I don’t know what happened.” Pacifica said. “I’m sure it’s not as terrible as you're making it out to be.”

Dipper sat up and took a deep sigh.

“We’re not kids anymore… I can’t do this to you.” Dipper said.

“Do what?” Pacifica asked. Dipper knew she was dragging it out of him on purpose, he could tell behind the innocent, naive look was a raging fire of burning jealousy.

“She… In order to get the information on releasing her… she… she kissed me.” Dipper said.

Pacifica stared blankly at him.

“More... than once.” Dipper said. “And… I didn’t stop her. I missed her so much, I didn’t… no I won’t make excuses. I’ll leave.”

Dipper moved to get up and Pacifica grabbed his wrist and pulled him back down.

“Do you think I’d let you leave after all that?” Pacifica said. Her tone went from placating to almost dangerous. “Don’t you think I knew how she felt about you, and no matter how much you deny it, you felt about her?”

“But… It’s Bill, an omniscient demonic entity, It’s some sort of mind game he probably planted in me when I was put back in this world.” Dipper said. “It’s stupid and I hate feeling that way.”

“Do you love me?” Pacifica asked. Dipper looked into her eyes.

“Yes, more than anything. I love you and I love our babies. If you want me to choose, I’ll…” Dipper said. His cheek suddenly stung as Pacifica’s palm flew across his cheek.

“Do not ever finish that statement. I have spent all my life with you, helping you fight Rick and whatever he’s trying to do. I stood by your side and loved you with all my heart. Don’t you ever think of giving all that up for me! I chose to love this Dipper; the one I have to patch up on a weekly basis, because you do what you love and what you are called to do. If you give that up… you give up on the life we built together.” Pacifica said. Dipper was rubbing his cheek. “And don’t get it in your head that I’m giving you a hall pass either. I don’t share my things.”

“Is that all I am to you, one of your things?” Dipper said. Pacifica pulled him next to her, put his hand on her belly and read her book without answering.

* * *

 

Dipper was drinking his coffee and working on a memo when the doorbell rang. He trudged to the front door and opened it to meet a grey haired Sheriff Blubs.

“The charges were dropped with Manly Dan. If you want to blame me for Shandra’s accident I have plenty of witnesses who can place me at home when it happened.” Dipper said dryly and moved to shut the door. 

“No…” Sheriff Blubs said “We’re here for your sister.”

“Why?” Dipper asked. He felt like he was ready to break the door, but he kept his cool exterior.

“Medical Examiner ran some tests on your brother. Something came back, and we’d like to talk to her about it… since she was the legal caretaker of Tyrone Pines.” Sheriff Blubs said.

“She’s not here.” Dipper said.

“You realize lying to me is obstruction?’ Sheriff Blubs said.

“You realize I don’t see a warrant to enter the premises? If she’s wanted for questioning, I’ll bring her down there myself with our lawyers.

“I’m sure you will.” Officer Blubs said with a grin. “Also… we do have a warrant for Gideon Gleeful. We can place him in the approximate area of Shandra’s accident. He still has a warrant out for the murder of Robby Valentine even though he’s post-living.”

Officer Blubs pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Dipper.

“Now… you wouldn’t be harboring a known fugitive would you?” He said with a grin.

“You know how I feel about Gideon, why would I hide him here?” Dipper said.

“Oh, I don’t know. He may not even be breathing. He may have come here seeking sanctuary, what with you being all forgiving and trusting type… and then you snap his neck and bury him under the floorboards.” Sheriff Blubs said. “Seein’ as you’ve had altercations with him in the past… I _do_ have a warrant to search for him.”

Dipper didn’t move and stared Sheriff Blubs down. He had no way to signal anyone in the house. He hoped one of the few staff who seemed to melt into the walls was alerting everyone right now, but he had no way to be sure. He couldn’t tell Blubs that Mabel was here or he could be arrested for lying to him.

“Do you want your lawyer present for the search?” Officer Blubs said. “Or you want to videotape me? I’m coming in one way or another; I just want this to be as official and procedural as possible.”

Dipper moved aside and let Sheriff Blubs in. He went into the kitchen and grabbed his phone and dialed his lawyers. It would take them a good half hour to get there, and Officer Blubs could have found Mabel and Gideon by then.

Pacifica came downstairs and smiled as Sheriff Blubs tipped his hat to her. He proceeded to check the rooms.

“What’s he doing here?” Pacifica said.

“He thinks I killed Gideon and stuffed him in the floorboards and Mabel’s suspect for the death of Tyrone.” Dipper said.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Pacifica sighed. “You call the lawyers?”

Dipper nodded. Pacifica poured herself coffee and sat down to her tablet and opened up an app. She looked at Dipper and gave him a wink. A huge sense of relief washed over him. She must have messaged them to hide.

“I’m HOOOoooome!” Mabel shouted as she bounded through the front door. “You won’t believe the new fabrics I found!”

Dipper got up to bolt to his sister when Pacifica grabbed his wrist and sat him down.

“If he takes her, Gideon will be safe.” she whispered. “We’ll be at the station before she’s even processed. You fly off the handle and beat Sheriff Blubs to a pulp, then Rick wins.”

Dipper growled and sat down. He closed his eyes as he heard Mabel protesting when Sheriff Blubs handcuffed her. Pacifica nodded and they both got up and calmly walked out into the entrance hall.

“What’s going on? Dipper?” Mabel shouted as Sheriff Blubs lead her to the door.

“We’ll be down there as soon as we can. Don’t say anything till we get there!” Dipper said. He quickly texted his lawyer and got a reply that he was almost to the station.

* * *

 

Dipper waited outside the room Mabel was being interrogated in with Pacifica. He couldn’t stop tapping his foot. Pacifica was texting on her phone and sighed.

“Just sent a note to Candy, she’s going to be here any minute.” Pacifica said. Dipper nodded.

“Why would they think Mabel killed Tyrone? It doesn’t make any sense!” Dipper said. They both looked up as their lawyer exited the room. “What’s going on?”

“Mr. Pines, It seems the autopsy they did on Tyrone showed a high level of potassium in his system.” He said.

“I don’t understand.” Dipper said.

“The amount was borderline lethal and could easily cause cardiac arrest. With Tyrone in a persistent vegetative state already, his body was already fragile. They think, as his caregiver, Mabel gave him potassium chloride.” He said. “They think with the loss of her home and the recent deaths of her grandfather and grand uncle, there’s motivation for her to cut her losses and move on with her life.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Pacifica said. “She loved him, and would never do that!”

“We know that, but that’s what they are trying to use as motive.” The lawyer said.

“I don’t want her to go through what I did.” Dipper said. “No deals, just get her out of it. I don’t want this to go to court. Why would they autopsy Tyrone in the first place? ”

“That’s something I’d like answered myself. It seemed unnecessary, but we both know Sheriff Blubs has been out to get you for some time. We can’t argue the tests weren’t needed. I’ll have some of my people double-check the samples to validate them, and make sure they did everything right, if there’s even a hint of tampering, we’ll get this thrown out.”

Dipper saw Candy looking for them. He waved at her and she rushed over. He gave her a hug, followed by Pacifica.

“Oh my god… what happened?” She asked.

“They think Mabel killed Tyrone.” Pacifica said. Candy’s face went white.

* * *

 

Dipper took his seat next to Pacifica at the hearing. He was able to keep this out of the media with Shandra no longer around. Gideon wanted to come, but Dipper insisted he stay back at the house since they were actively looking for him. Candy arrived and took the seat next to Dipper.

Dipper listened as both sides argued their cases. He was glad this time it only took a few weeks to get her through the system and not shuffled around. He was furious when he heard the charge was murder. The DA wanted to push for life imprisonment. Dipper saw Candy’s face shatter at the thought of losing Mabel like that.

“Dipper…” Candy whispered. “Dipper… I need to talk to you.”

During a recess he followed Candy to an empty hallway. She looked around nervously and played with her hands.

“I need to tell you something… it’s all my fault.” Candy said.

“What?” Dipper asked. “What’s all your fault?”

“I… I did it.” She whispered.

Dipper’s face went cold.

“What did you do? And tell me everything.” Dipper said.

“The last few months… I have been giving Tyrone potassium. I wanted it to look like his body just… gave up. I wanted to free Mabel from him. You and I both know that there was nothing in there.” she said. “I wanted… I wanted her to be with me. I was there for her for all these years and I really tried for her to live with him. You never watched her struggle with him, and she did it all with a smile. It broke my heart every time.”

“Stop… don’t… don’t say anymore.” Dipper had to sit down.

“She’s going to go to prison because of me!” Candy said. “I can’t let her do that!”

“She’s not going to go.” Dipper said. “Mabel and I made a choice to let Tyrone go… you may have tried, but we’re the ones who unhooked his spirit from his body. Not that we can really say that in court.”

There was an audible beep that echoed in the halls, Dipper looked around and saw everyone going back into the courtroom.

“Recess is over, don’t say a word about this to anyone.” Dipper said. Candy nodded and followed him back inside.

They resumed the trial, Dipper’s legal team tried to get every piece of evidence thrown out to no avail. Dipper’s hands couldn’t stop sweating. It seemed like the trial was spiraling out of control.

“I can’t let this happen.” Candy whispered.

“Don’t make a scene.” Dipper said. “You really want to do this?”

Candy nodded. Dipper’s fingers flew over the keypad on his phone as he sent a text to his legal team. He cared about Candy but if she didn’t step up he would have tossed her to the wolves to save his sister.

“Your honor, we have some new evidence we’d like to present.” Mabel’s lawyer said. Candy stood up and took the stand.

“Your Honor. Mabel didn’t give Tyrone the potassium… I did.” She said. Dipper saw Mabel glance at Dipper, then back to Candy.

“Why?” Mabel asked.

“Because I love you, Mabel. You spent most of our lives taking care of him and I loved that about you. I was trying to help you let go, let you stop taking care of everyone and let me take care of you. I figured if he passed away like he should have, then we could put it behind us and start our lives together.” Candy said.

Mabel was burrowed into her sweater. The prosecutor asked a few questions and Candy explained how she gave him small doses in his IV over the course of a few months. The prosecutor reluctantly dropped the charges against Mabel and took Candy into custody.

* * *

 

“You sure you don’t want to go?” Dipper asked Mabel. She was in her room with the blankets over her head. “She would probably love to see you there. There’s not going to be a huge trial as she’d confessed. This is just a sentencing hearing.”

“She… She tried to kill Tyrone.” Mabel choked. “I trusted her.”

“We’ve all done things we regret out of love.” Dipper said, and sat down next to her. “Come on, we need to support her.”

Mabel begrudgingly slumped out of bed and got dressed. Pacifica met them at the front door and they drove back to the courthouse.

As they all sat down. Candy stood in front of the judge wearing an orange jumpsuit. The Judge sat at his podium and rapped his gavel three times to call order.

“The defendant pleaded guilty to the aggravated murder of Tyrone Pines.” the Judge said. 

“What?” Dipper said. “Aggravated?”

The Judge glowered at him and he sat down. One of the lawyers moved next to him and whispered.

“Since she had been trying to kill him for months with the poison it fell into the aggravated category as she was causing him to suffer. We tried to argue it away, but he refused to listen to us.” He said.

Dipper stared at the judge and felt his blood run cold as he could make out a grinning square form just above his head.

“The court sentences Candy Chiu’s life be terminated by lethal injection.” the judge said, and rapped his gavel.

“What?” Mabel screamed. “No! NO!”

“I’m sorry Mabel! It’s what I deserve!” Candy said as she was led out of the room. “I love you!”

“Candy!” Mabel yelled as Dipper held her back.

“I don’t care what she says. You appeal this!” Dipper said. His lawyer nodded and was on the phone. 

“Dipper!” Mabel sobbed. “Why is she doing this?”

Pacifica and Dipper helped Mabel out of the courtroom and into their limo. No one said a word on the drive home.

* * *

 

Dipper checked on Mabel and saw she was sleeping. Pacifica had gone up to bed, and Dipper was walking the house. He moved into an unused room and closed the door. He lit one of the decorative candles and sat it near an empty wall. The green wallpaper was bathed in the orange light, and the flickering shadows danced like tiny fairies to an inaudible song.

“Rick, come out.” DIpper said.

A crack appeared against the smooth surface and a square rose up from the wall, a large mouth smiled to greet him.

“You’re rather bold to call on me directly.” he said. “It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? Since we last… deliberated.”

“Why did you do that to Candy? She had nothing to do with any of this.” Dipper said.

“Mabel broke her word… I just wanted to hurt her.” Rick said with a chuckle. “Imagine how the knife will twist in the morning.”

“What does that mean?” Dipper said.

“That would be telling.” Rick said. “Where’s Bill?”

“Gone.” Dipper said. “We never recovered him”

“You’re lying…” Rick said. “I know it. I can taste it. It’s like an orange that’s not ripe enough; a little sour and somewhat citrusy. It’s not very pleasant.”

“It’s all you get.” Dipper said.

“How about this… We’ll make a deal with you. Give us Bill, and you’ll be free to live your life as you see fit. Raise your children, grow old, live a comfortable and fulfilling life on whatever crusade you wish to see. Your life is only a flick of the tongue to me. Why not make it something worth living and stop inviting discord to live with you.” Rick said.

“How about you fix Billeah, and let her live out a normal life?” Dipper said. “Bring her back and I’ll quit all of this.”

“Tempting but from what I can tell I’m at an advantage. Why would I risk allowing Bill out of his prison? A sense of compassion? He’s a disgrace to his kind and I will not afford him any sense of peace.” Rick said.

Dipper’s phone buzzed. Rick’s coy smile grew the width of the square.

“It seems you won’t have to wait for the morning. I’ll take my leave.” Rick said and faded. Dipper checked the text; all it said was Call Me. He dialed his lawyer who answered immediately.

“Candy… I saw the video and...” he said, clearly shaken up.

“What?” Dipper said, he was rushing out of the room to Mabel’s room.

“Candy said into the camera in her cell… she’s not going to wait for an appeal, and she will not be a burden to Mabel in any way, even by her taxes paying for her meals.” He said. “She… She hung herself with her sheet. They tried everything, but… she’s gone.” 

Dipper tore open the door to Mabel’s room. His stomach dropped as the TV was turned to live footage at the prison. The camera was trained on a tiny, sheet covered body as it was wheeled to an ambulance.

Mabel held her knees to her chest and was rocking back and forth. 


	10. Changes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the inserted breaks look good on PC's but not on smartphones. i'm going to eventaully update all my stories with better scene breaks

**_September 9, 2035_ **

Dipper was in his secret room and had Fiddleford running some numbers when a flash of light had him seeing stars and he smelled smoke.

“You’re on fire, Blendin.” Dipper said. Blendin patted out the small flame on his sleeve and sat down next to him.

“I don’t get why they never fixed that.” He said as he smothered another stray flame. “Oh well.”

“So what did you find out?” Dipper asked while turning to look at the time traveler.

“All of the quantum computers are temporal locked to our time. I can’t bring back any equipment unless it’s authorized and that is usually just a firearm and the computer on my arm. It’s more of a terminal that’s quantum and temporally entangled to the main system.”  
Blendin said.

“And your meeting with GTB?” Dipper asked.

“Not so good. I was able to speak to him alone, and he seemed very adamant about not waking him up early. It was odd; he said events were already in motion… and that even if he wanted to interfere he couldn’t.”

“Did he say he could fix Billeah?” Dipper asked.

“That’s the thing, He did say he might be able to help, but he couldn’t at this exact moment in time. I couldn’t tell if he meant… the time I was in… or your time… or what.” Blendin said.

“You really need to retake that time-travel grammar course.” Dipper said.

“I know.” Blendin said and let out a sigh of defeat. “Oh, but I did get this for you!”

Blendin reached into his fanny pack and pulled out an old textbook and handed it to Dipper.

“It’s not temporally locked, it’s a few hundred years old but I thought it might get you started.”

“It’s… a math book.” Dipper said. He flipped through the pages and skimmed the instructions that were given.

The language was English, but… the dialog and terms were foreign. It’s like reading something from the Middle Ages, you know the words, but you need to concentrate to understand how they’re being used. Most of what was shown was theories that were in their infancies in his time and others had solved some of the most problematic fundamentals of quantum theory.

“I didn’t know if it would help… just; try not to do too much damage with it please?” Blendin asked.

“You don’t know what this means. I can take my research five hundred years ahead with this!” Dipper said excitedly. “Fiddleford! Get the book scanner ready!”

“You… p..promised this is all in house. No papers or exposure to the outside world with this stuff. I… I checked. No one related to you makes any of these discoveries. You…”  Blendin  
winced and Dipper looked up. “Sorry… can’t tell you.”

“None of this will get outside. I have an automated assembly line in Portland I can send some Dipper clones to man when we build the new systems. I hope it’s going to be powerful enough. I need to run some numbers.” Dipper said. “Oh, how can I contact you without  
tearing apart the timeline?”

“I downloaded every copy of the Oregonian till it shuts down. Just put an ad in the classifieds looking for a Blendjet 5000 hot tub, I’ve already bookmarked all the times you call me, I’ll  
just jump to each one in order when I have the time. We don’t want to get our timelines crossed, and then it would get really confusing.” Blendin said.

“Did you come up with that?” Dipper asked. Blendin looked nervous.

“I… I thought you did.” Blendin said. “I had the idea for the ads, and I searched my name and found a bunch of ads for Blendjet 5000s with no contact info from Gravity Falls. I looked it up  
and there’s no product like it. I thought you came up with the name.”

“Nope,” Dipper said with a smile. “You know what that means right?”

“I… created a paradox… again.” Blendin said, disheartened. Dipper laughed and patted his friend on the shoulder.

“It happens to the best of us. We’ll use it so your head doesn’t blow up ok?” Dipper said.

“But then… where did it come from? Why was it even there to begin with?” Blendin lamented. “I’m going to be up all night now.”

“Just think of it as fate, a pre-ordained event that was destined to happen.” Dipper said with a chuckle. “Hey, you did great. Go get some rest and try not to think too hard about it.”

Blendin nodded, pulled his time-tape, and vanished in a flash of light. Dipper set the book on his book scanner and Fiddleford danced a jig as the pages were fed into the computer.

“Hoo boy, you know what I can do with all this mathin?” He chuckled.

“I’m sure you can perform miracles.” Dipper said and patted the block of peanut brittle.

Dipper moved in front of Billeah and put his hand on the amber.

“Just a little bit longer.” He said. Dipper pulled up a chair and sat it in front of her. Quietly he whispered the spell he memorized and slumped down in the chair.

**********

“Thought I was through with this crap when Wendy left.” Pacifica mumbled and sat down next to Mabel. She went to go see Dipper in the lab but he was in his chair and unresponsive. She made sure he had a pillow under him to keep his neck from getting stiff and covered him with a blanket. She hated knowing he was frolicking with Billeah, but he needed to see her and she’d already said it was okay. She was not going to go back on her word because she’s jealous of some girl entombed in amber.

Mabel was knitting something and looked up at Pacifica, barely recognizing her. After Candy’s suicide, they had to take her to the hospital to deal with her mental breakdown. She’s now going to therapy three times a week and was doped out of her mind to give her time to cope with the loss of Tyrone and Candy. Pacifica was afraid her bouncy sister-in-law would not be bouncing back from this.

Gideon was flipping through the channels, it seemed like he wasn’t even paying any attention to them.

“That’s really annoying,” Pacifica said. Gideon stopped and set the remote down.

“When are we going to do something? It’s been two weeks!” Gideon lamented. “I mean, come on… I thought Dipper would be a white hot ball of burning fury after Rick’s latest attack. We  
need to go on the offensive and start taking down his circle.”

“You of all people should be worried about Dipper losing his temper.” Pacifica said. “We need to be smart about this and not barrel through guns blazing; you’re the one who escalated things  
anyways!”

“How many times do I have to apologize?” Gideon said.

“You… killed someone! Three people!” Pacifica snapped. “I honestly want to throw you out and turn you in, but my husband insists that we harbor you until he’s done with you.”

“Nice to know I’m needed.” Gideon said.

“Where’s Dippingsauce?” Mabel said with a drawl. Pacifica was amazed at how fast she could knit while under such heavy medication. It probably was all muscle memory.

“He’s visiting with your cousin.” Pacifica said pleasantly. “What’cha makin?”

“Booty.” Mabel said and snorted a laugh. “Ha! I said booty. I mean... booties… for tiny feet for tiny babies.”

“When is she going to be off the meds? It’s really creeping me out.” Gideon said as he started flipping through channels again.

“You wouldn’t understand what she’s going through.” Pacifica snapped. “You’ve killed three people and seem quite content, not the least bit affected by it.”

“The first time I know I was crazy and I accepted that and moved past it. The second time was because it needed to be done. I’m able to sleep just fine at night.” Gideon said and flipped the channel.

**********

Dipper laid against the pine tree in Billeah’s mindscape and watched her run through the grass while chasing a butterfly. She turned and smiled at him, pulling back a strand of hair that  
blew into her face. She ran up to him and threw herself on him. He caught her with a grunt and held her to his chest.

“It felt like forever.” Billeah said.

“Not too long, but I had to see you. Candy…” He started, He wanted to tell her what was happening outside, and she had every right to know. “Rick got to Candy. Mabel’s a mess over it.”

“Is she alright?” Billeah asked. Dipper shook his head no. Billeah quietly nodded and interlocked her fingers with his.

“I don’t know what to do… I’ve got a few good leads on how to fix you, but it seems so far away. Blendin came through and got me jump started on a system that can open your overmind.” Dipper said.

“I’m scared of that. I hardly remember what that was like anymore, will I still be me? Will I be Bill? I... I don’t want to lose you.” Billeah said. “I wish I could just give it all up and be me. Even if I have to watch you and Pacifica and keep my feelings to myself, I’ll do that.”

“I know… I know. If there was any way to do that I would help you in a heartbeat.” Dipper said.

“This helps.” Billeah said, and drew Dipper’s face to hers.

**********

Pacifica checked her watch, it had been four hours.

“Keep an eye on her; I need to get out of here.” She said with a huff.

“’Kay” Gideon said, flipping the channels. Pacifica gave Mabel a hug, grabbed her purse and headed to the garage.

Pacifica blasted the radio as she drove the streets of Gravity Falls. She drove past the malt shop she and Dipper went to as kids. She didn’t know where she was going, she just felt suffocated in that house. Without knowing why, she found herself staring at the sign of the Mystery Shack.

She got out and walked into the empty shop. Robbie was at the register, and looked up at her.

“Hey Pacifica.” He said.

“Hey Robbie, I just came down to check on things.” She said, and gave the zombie a hug.

“Yeah… things are good. We sold a T-shirt last week.” Robbie said.

“That’s great! You’re doing a great job.” Pacifica said.

“Yeah, it’s been really busy. Lots of people were looking around at stuff. Wendy brought over Lee. He’s the one who bought the T-shirt.” Robbie said.

“Wendy… was here?” Pacifica asked. “Why?”

“She… left something upstairs.” He said. “She came by to get it.”

“Do you remember what it was?” Pacifica asked, her curiosity peaked.

“I… don’t remember. She never said.”

“Thank you, Robbie.”

“Not a problem.” He said. His face went slack and unfocused. Pacifica made her way to the back and looked around to see what it was Wendy may have taken.

She checked all the rooms and didn’t see anything out of place. She wished Dipper was there; his freakish memory would pick up on the slightest change to any room. She pulled out her phone and took photos of everything. Maybe he’d be able to see what was taken. Whatever it was, it was probably important.

“Thanks again, Robbie.” She said as she left the shack. Robbie waved to her and resumed his post.

Pacifica drove back to the house and went inside. She rejoined Gideon who still had not picked a show and Mabel whose inhumanly fast fingers appeared to be tied in a knot with yarn.

“I tried to untangle them, but they were freakishly tied, She would have bit me if I used scissors.” Gideon said when Pacifica glanced down at them.

“They’re not turning purple, so she’ll be ok.” Pacifica said and sat down next to her sister-in-law.  Mabel seemed to be nodding off so Pacifica laid her head on her shoulder and stroked her hair.

“Has Dipper come out yet?” She asked. Gideon nodded.

“Yeah, he asked for you and said he’d be back. He wanted to run an errand.” Gideon said.

“Okay.” Pacifica said. She couldn’t shake this sense of dread that was pressing all around her. She hoped he’s okay.

**********

“Hey.” Dipper said. Pacifica jerked awake. Her neck was stiff from passing out in so uncomfortable a place. Dipper smiled at her and ran his fingers through her hair. “You fell asleep.”

“Where have you been?” Pacifica asked.

“Just out, I needed to ship some contracts.” He said.

Mabel stirred and looked up at Dipper.

“Hey Brobro.” She said and gave him a hug. He hugged her back. Mabel pulled away with a confused look on her face. “Bro? Dipper?”

“Yeah?” he said and smiled. Mabel shoved him away and pulled her legs to her chest.

“He’s gone! He’s gone! Where is my brother!” she screamed and hyperventilated.

“Mabel, what’s wrong?” Pacifica asked. “Dipper’s here, he’s right here!”

“No! He’s not here! Where is he? WHERE IS HE!” she screamed.

“She needs some stronger sedatives.” Dipper said. “Go call her doctor. I’ll take her to her room”

“We can have Gideon do that, she’s still upset over Tyrone. She must be getting you two confused.” Pacifica said.

“Gideon? Yeah… okay.” Dipper said. Pacifica’s thumbs flew across her phone as she texted Gideon. He was downstairs in an instant and helping Mabel up to her room.

“I emailed her doctor; he’ll stop by in the morning to check on her. I already texted Gideon the instructions.” Pacifica said. She let out a sigh as Dipper sat next to her. Pacifica laid her head on Dipper’s shoulder and put his hand on her belly. He gently rubbed it back and forth.

“I’m scared. I just feel like something’s wrong.” Pacifica said. “I can’t get it out of my head.”

“Everything’s fine, sweetie.” Dipper said.

“I went to the shack this evening. I just… needed to get out. I’m sorry, I felt a little jealous.” Pacifica said. “And… I stopped by to see Robbie.”

“Should I be worried?” Dipper said. She looked at him, expecting his sly smile, but was met with an almost stony look.

“What? No!” Pacifica said, sitting up. “Why would you think that?”

Dipper shrugged.

“Anyway, Mr. Paranoid, I found out that Wendy was there last week and told Robbie she left something the shack.”

“She said that, huh?” Dipper said. 

“Yeah, and she waltzed right in and took something. I have pictures of the whole place.” Pacifica said and handed Dipper her phone. “Take a look and see if anything’s out of place.”

Dipper took the phone and swiped through the photos.

“This place is a dump… why didn’t we ever renovate it?” Dipper asked. “It’s like a bottomless money pit.”

“You wanted to keep it opened.” Pacifica said. “And keep it as close as possible to what the Stans wanted it to be.”

“Yeah… nostalgia does that to people. I don’t see anything missing.” He said and handed the phone back to Pacifica. “She probably left a flannel shirt or some crampons there.”

Pacifica got up and stretched her back.

“I’m tired. You wanna come up and rub my back? It’s really stiff, and the babies are really being feisty.” Pacifica said.

“Yeah, I’ll be up later. I have some reports I need to work on.” Dipper said.

“Alright. Don’t be too long.” She bent down and gave Dipper a kiss. Was it her imagination, or did he pull away from her?

She walked to the stairs and looked down at her husband as he opened his laptop and started typing frantically. What happened in there? Where did he go? Why was he acting so cold? She felt anxiety grip her chest. Did something happen with him and Billeah?

**********

Cold water shocked Dipper awake.

“Where am I?” Dipper said with a sputter. He couldn’t see anything, something was over his eye.

“Open your mouth, lover.” Someone said. Before Dipper could say anything, his jaw was forced opened and something shoved into his mouth. It tasted like… a cheeseburger. “Chew it!”

Dipper swallowed the bite and another was shoved in.

“I should let you choke on this.” Said the voice, it sounded familiar… defiantly female. “But we’re going to be hanging out for some time.”

Dipper tried to say something, but another bite of food was shoved into his opening mouth. He nearly choked on the hard bacon that was in the burger.

His mind felt clouded as he swallowed, and could barely hold his head up.

“Looks like your recipe works.” The voice said, it sounded distorted as Dipper’s mind slipped into inky blackness  


	11. Growing Darkness

**_September 10: 2035_ **

Pacifica started awake and reached out for her husband, and found his spot empty. Did he even come to bed last night? She got up, put on her robe and walked out to see what woke her up. She heard frantic running back and forth.

“Get me some more towels!” Dipper shouted. “Did you call the ambulance?”

“I did!” Gideon yelled from down the hall. “They are on their way!”

Pacifica’s stomach dropped and she ran across the hall to Mabel’s room. Dipper was holding her in his arms, and pressing a blood stained towel on her wrists.

“Oh my god! What happened?” Pacifica said and ran to help staunch the bleeding on the other wrist.

“I… I found her like this.” Dipper said. “Can you get the door when they show up? We don’t want Gideon to be seen.”

Pacifica nodded. She grabbed some duct tape Mabel kept in her art supplies drawer and wrapped it around the towel as tight as she could. She did the same to the other wrist and held Mabel’s hand.

“No… no… not Dipper!” Mabel mumbled. “Not Dipper!”

“I don’t see why she’d do this.” Pacifica said. “I mean, you don’t think Rick had anything to do with it?”

“I don’t know.” Dipper said. “But we’ll get her the help she needs.”

Pacifica heard the doorbell ring. She got up and ran to the door to let the paramedics in. They quickly loaded her into the gurney, rushed her outside and sped off to the hospital.

**********

Mabel’s mind swam to the surface of consciousness. Her head hurt, her wrists hurt, she felt like she drank three pitchers of Vodka Mabel-juice.

“Owww.” She groaned. The light was so bright. She looked around and saw white walls and a hospital bed. What happened? Mabel tried to sit up but found leather straps around her wrists and feet.

“Hello?” she said.

The door to her bare room looked heavy with security glass. A large dark skinned orderly unlatched it and rolled in with a cart.

“Good morning, princess. Time for your pills.” She said.

“Where am I? How… did I get here?” Mabel asked. “Where’s my brother?”

“He’ll be in to visit. Now, you need to take these.” The orderly said.

“Where is he? I don’t understand why I’m here!” Mabel said and pulled on the restraints. “Let me out.”

“You keep that up, and we’ll have to do this the hard way, girl.” The woman said.

“Please… what happened? I don’t remember anything! Where am I?”

“You hurt yourself real bad, your brother and sister-in-law are getting you the help you need.” She said and pointed to her wrists. Mabel felt sick. She didn’t remember doing anything to herself, She didn’t remember much after Candy died. All she knew was she needed to take the pain away and her doctor’s prescription did just that. Could what she did be a side effect of her medications?

“I… I don’t want to take them, I… I want to keep a clear head, ma’am.” Mabel said.

“Doctor’s orders, Ms. Pines. When he says you stop taking them, then you stop.” She said, and held the tiny cup up to Mabel’s lips. Reluctantly she took the pills and moved them under her tongue, then acted like she swallowed.

“Honey, I’ve seen hundreds of folks do that. Swallow them or we’ll do it with an IV.” She said. Mabel sighed and swallowed the pills with a sip of water.

“Can you call my brother? I want to see him.” Mabel said. The orderly pushed her cart out of the room and locked the door. “Hello?”

**********

Pacifica sat with her feet up and rubbed lotion on her belly. It was getting bigger, and she could feel tiny flutters inside her. She’d made a list of thing she needed to baby-proof around the house, picked out a room for the nursery, and called the interior decorator.

“You get those quarterly reports finished?” Dipper asked from behind her. His nose was in a tablet and his fingers were flipping back and forth furiously.

“Thompson emailed them to me last night.” She said.

“You let _Thompson_ handle them?” Dipper said with a huff.

“What’s wrong with Thompson ?” Pacifica asked. “Hey buddy, set that down and come rub my feet, they really hurt.”

“Can’t… I need to double check these numbers to make sure Thompson didn’t screw it up.” Dipper said and walked off. “Just go to the spa like a normal person.”

Pacifica’s mind reeled from the exchange. Did her husband just blow her off? She saw Dipper walking back. She knew he’d feel bad and come back to make it up to her.

“Hey,” he said. She looked up at him with a smile.

“Yeah?” She said.

“I know you’re pregnant and all, but if you’re not going to follow through with your duties for our company let me know so I can do it right and not delegate it to someone who will most likely screw it up.” Dipper turned around and walked away muttering under his breath.

Pacifica got up and was ready to lay into him when a sense of dread gripped her chest. Did Rick somehow get to Dipper?

She heaved herself to her feet and went upstairs to Gideon’s room. She knocked softly and heard someone inside fumble and close things up. She made a mental note to snoop in his room later for whatever he was trying to hide from her.

“Come in!” he called.

“Gideon, could going to see Billeah cause Dipper’s brain to go screwy?” She asked. Gideon gave her a look and motioned her inside to close the door.

“He has been acting weird. I never thought he’d even think about having his sister committed. I know it’s what she needed, but he decided it rather quickly didn’t he?”

“You think it’s because he went to the mindscape?” Pacifica asked.

“Hard to say.” Gideon said as he rubbed his pasty chin. “It should be harmless, not personality changing, unless something happened inside.”

“Come with me. I’m going to get some answers.” Pacifica said.

“W..wait, you going to go up to Dipper and start accusing him of things?” Gideon said. He backed away nervously.

“No, I need you to show me the spell he used. I’m going to talk to Billeah myself. It’s about time I give her a piece of my mind anyway.” Pacifica said. Gideon nodded and followed Pacifica to the elevator to Dipper’s lab.

“Am I ever going to get my handprint on record?” Gideon asked.

“No.” Pacifica said, and scanned her palm. The painting slid opened and they stepped inside.

Neither of them spoke during the elevator ride down. Gideon fidgeted with his fingers in the uncomfortable silence. When the door opened he let out a sigh of relief.

“Fiddleford, I want all the systems locked down.” Pacifica said. “Dipper’s acting strange, and until I’m satisfied, no one is allowed into the computer.”

“Got it!” Fiddleford said. The computer screen showed door after door being shut.

Gideon grabbed Journal 3 and flipped to the appropriate page. Pacifica looked over the words, and repeated a few of the harder to pronounce ones until she felt comfortable enough to say them without error.

“Stay down here and keep an eye on me.” She said. Gideon nodded. She sat in the recliner Dipper had in front of Billeah. She placed her hand on the amber and recited the words her husband used. It felt like her face was on fire for a moment before she blacked out.

**********

Pacifica found herself in a field of grass. The air smelled sweet and the wind blew gently across the tall blades, creating it a relaxing rustling sound. She spun around and saw nothing but the field. Her eyes locked onto a pine tree jutting into the sky, breaking up the endless horizon.

“He put that so I don’t get lost. No matter how far I go, I can make my way back to him.” Someone said besides her.

Pacifica looked down to see Billeah smiling up at her.

“Oh… Oh my god!” Pacifica said. She knelt down and gave her a hug. Billeah hugged back and didn’t let her go.

“You came to see me too?” She asked. “Where’s Dipper?”

There was a twinge of jealousy that shot through her heart, but she shoved it down. Now’s not the time.

“I came to talk to you about him.” Pacifica said.

“He… he told you didn’t he.” Billeah said, looking ashamed. “I… know you’re mad at me.”

“Oh Billeah…” Pacifica said. “Let’s go to the tree and sit ok? We can talk all about it.”

They walked in silence. Pacifica heard something behind her, spun around to look and found nothing. She shrugged it off and kept walking. She swore she heard more footsteps, only to see nothing behind her.

“They’re playing.” Billeah said with a smile. “They’ll come out soon.”

Pacifica shrugged and followed Billeah to the Pine tree. She sat down and Billeah sat next to her and held her hand.

“What are they?” She asked. Billeah shrugged.

“You brought them.” She said. “Here they come.”

Pacifica was confused as two baby llamas walked out of the grass and ran to her.

“Awww. They’re so cute!” Pacifica said. She hugged and petted each one. The llamas nuzzled and licked her face.

“Make sure they go with you when you leave.” Billeah said as she hugged one of the llamas.       

 “Why?” Pacifica asked.

“So they can go back with you. Don’t you know who they are? I… I thought you came to let me meet them.” Billeah said. She seemed confused as she hugged and pulled one of the llamas onto her lap.

“Billeah… who are they?” She asked.

“They’re the babies.” Billeah said. “Who’s a cute little llama?”

Pacifica looked into one of the llama’s eyes and instantly felt a connection to her.

“Why… why did they come in with me?” Pacifica said. “I… I used the same spell Dipper did.”

“Your body had three minds, three minds went inside.” Billeah said. “Didn’t you think about it?”

“I… no I… will they be ok? Am I hurting them?” Pacifica felt like she was going to panic. Billeah squeezed her hand and shook her head no.

“Just relax, they’ll follow you back. They’re having fun, can’t you tell? They’re glad to see you and are just curious about where they are.” Billeah said.

“Yeah… um okay.” Pacifica said. “You stay close to mommy, okay?”

The llama she was petting licked her face and wandered off to the edge of the clearing and laid down.

Billeah let go of the other llama and it went to lay down with his sister. They both rolled up together and laid their heads next to each other and slept.

“Why llamas?” Pacifica asked.

“You gave them that form, they don’t know any better.” Billeah said. “Now that they’re napping, we can talk about Dipper.”

“You were saying something?” Pacifica asked. She wanted to hear it from her, just what her husband has been doing in here. Billeah looked down to her feet, and was playing with the grass next to her.

“I… I told him.” She said.

“Told him what?” Pacifica asked. Her heart was beating in her ears.

“That I loved him.” Billeah said. “I’m… I’m sorry.”

“I know you do.” Pacifica said. “But, he’s my husband and I can’t lose him.”

“I… kissed him.” Billeah said.

“He told me.” Pacifica said. “He felt very guilty about it too.”

“I was scared you’d tell him not to come back.” Billeah whispered. “I need him.”

“We all need him, Billeah. Did… anything happen when he was last here?” Pacifica asked. Billeah’s face hid into her knees.

“I kissed him again.” She whispered. Pacifica wanted to yell and scream at her, but she took a deep breath and steadied her anger.

“Billeah, could you please stop throwing yourself at my husband?” Pacifica said. Billeah nodded, not making eye contact with her. “Now think, before he left, did anything strange happen? Did... like, not all of him leave? Did you keep a part of him here, tucked away for yourself?”

Billeah looked over at her with shock.

“No! I would never hurt Dipper! Why would you ask that?” Billeah said. She sounded like she was about to cry from the accusation.

“What did he say when he was here? Dipper’s not acting like himself. I’m trying to find out why.” Pacifica said.

“No… we talked. He’s scared and confused. He said he doesn’t know what to do and feels like everything is falling apart. He doesn’t want to worry everyone. Before he left, he said he was going into town to get some food because he was hungry before he came to visit me.” Billeah said.

Pacifica took a breath to keep from exploding. Why was her husband opening up to Billeah about his insecurities on not her?

“Please… don’t be mad at him. He tries so hard to be strong for everyone. This is the only place he feels he can let go.” Billeah said.

“With _me_ should be the place he lets go.” Pacifica said and stood up. “I’m his wife! His best friend! I’ve stood by him against everything he’s faced! I’m trying so hard not to be mad at you!” 

“I know… please, be mad at me and not him!” Billeah asked. “It’s all my fault, all of this, everything is my fault!”

“DON’T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT?” Pacifica screamed. “I WISH YOU NEVER CAME INTO OUR LIVES!”

Without thinking she pushed the pine tree and felt a sick satisfaction as it tumbled over and crashed into the ground. Billeah stared at it in horror and Pacifica gathered up her babies and stormed out of the door that appeared before her.

**********

“I did what?” Mabel said.

Mabel was sitting in an office with a bald man in a suit. He absently made notes on a clipboard and looked up at her with an almost bored look.

“You were so upset over the suicide of your… girlfriend… that you decided to try and take your own life, even after your doctor tried to help you through traditional means.” The bald man looked at some papers and sighed. “You refused counseling and only took sedatives to block out any feelings you had over the situation. With the already dangerous cocktail you were somehow prescribed, it unlocked any sort of rational inhibitions, to the point you decided to join your partner in the afterlife.”

“Where did you come up with that?” Mabel asked. “I know I was messed up over Candy’s death, but… I would never try to cut my own wrists.”

The doctor slid over a poorly scribbled note. She read it to herself and slid it back to him.

“That’s crap. I’d never say anything like that!” Mabel protested. “That’s not even my handwriting!”

“You were heavily medicated, we did a drug screening when they took you to the hospital. I’m sure in your state of mind; your handwriting wouldn’t look even remotely the same, or your speech patterns.”

“It wasn’t me.” Mabel said.

“Then who was it? Your brother? The one who did everything he could to keep you alive and called 911 when he checked on you?” The doctor put down his pad and sighed. “Look Mabel, I understand you’ve been through a lot. Your brother and sister-in-law are scared for you and so we’re going to make sure you get the help you need. You just lost your brother, your best friend and lover, your grandfather and great uncle in a short period of time. You’ve been through a lot, and sometimes it’s too much to handle alone.”

 “It… wasn’t… me” Mabel repeated. Was this guy an idiot?

“Ok… I think we’re done for today. We’ll take the restraints off when you can come to terms with what’s happening to you. I still feel you have a hair trigger and I don’t want any of the other patients in danger.”

Mabel strained against the leather straps on her wheelchair as she was pushed out of the office and back to her room. 


	12. Ringing Bell

**_September 22, 2035_ **

Dipper could barely anchor his thoughts. He didn’t know how long he’d been restrained and blinded. He could make out voices around him, but was unsure what they said or did. He knew he was naked, especially when they turned a hose on him. Apparently in his state of mind, he had no control over his bodily functions. He remembered the woman complaining about that adamantly as he was blasted with freezing water.

The food they fed him continued to send him into incomprehensible nightmares. He wanted to run and scream in terror, but a part of him seemed to be anchored. He allowed himself to ride the fear that coursed through his body, letting it wash over him, but not casting him adrift upon its sea.

He didn’t know how long it had been since the last food he was given, but he felt the cold water slam into his body, shocking him into momentary clarity.

“You keep that up and he’s going to go into shock!” someone said.

“Damn it, Poolcheck. I really don’t care.” The woman said.

“We need to keep him alive for when the boss gets back.”

Dipper’s concentration was shattered when another blast of water slammed into his face and chest, knocking him backwards. He felt a sharp stab of pain in the back of his head and everything went black.

**********

Pacifica woke to an empty bed again. It had been like that for over a week. Dipper had been acting weirder and weirder. He paced the house like he’s looking for something. She felt terrible for what happened with Billeah and wanted to talk to him about it. She wasn’t sure she wanted to even mention her if Dipper was not himself, it might be the worst thing to do.

Wrapping herself in her robe, she walked to his office and twisted the doorknob. It was locked. She knocked softly and heard a frustrated sigh and heavy footsteps approach the door. With a slight jiggle the door opened up. Dipper looked at her with almost disdain.

“What?” He demanded.

“We need to talk,” Pacifica said. “You’re acting like a complete ass to me and I want to know why.”

Dipper looked her up and down, as if inspecting her, and wordlessly opened the door. She entered his office and sat down across from him at his desk. He typed something on his laptop and closed it, then gave her a smile that sent a chill up her spine.

“What do you want me to say?” Dipper said.

“I want to know why you’re acting this way?” Pacifica said. “You’re never come to bed anymore, you rarely even touch me, You’ve barely said three words to me that didn’t involve work!”

“I’m sorry if I’m not a placating husband. I’m just trying to ensure our company is going to be able to survive the attacks from Cubed Consolidated.” Dipper said cooly. “Unless you want everything your family has worked for to go up in flames?”

“I could give a damn about the company!” Pacifica roared. “All I want is my husband back!”

“I’ll remember you said that.” Dipper said.

“I swear… since that last time you saw Billeah…” Pacifica muttered and froze, covering her mouth. Dipper’s hand paused over the keyboard and eyed her suspiciously. How could she be so stupid as to let that slip?

“Say what you were going to say.” he said. 

“It’s nothing. Go back to work.” Pacifica said and moved to leave. She felt a sharp pain in her wrist as it twisted around. Dipper slammed her against the door and grabbed her chin.

“If you’re going to say something about me, you better spit it out.” Dipper said. Pacifica was terrified. She’s seen her husband’s rage but she’d never felt this kind of threat. She knew he would hurt her, this wasn’t him.

“The grave…” She lied. “Since you’ve visited her grave, you’ve been acting different. I know you loved her, and I’m sorry I don’t meet the idolization you have of her.”

Dipper leaned close and stared at her. She ignored the pain in her arm and cheeks and stared right back. He let her go and wordlessly opened the door. Pacifica stepped out and calmly walked to her bedroom, shut and locked the door then laid down in bed.

Once she was covered up with a pillow, she let loose the tears that had been building up. She knew something terrible happened to Dipper, but what?

**********

Pacifica started awake. Red and blue lights flashed in her window. She ran out of her room in a panic to see Sheriff Blubs dragging out a protesting Gideon.

“Pacifica! Pacifica! Help! He made me tell him! I’m sorry!” Gideon screamed and lunged against him. HIs small frame was no match for the large man. Pacifica was quivering. She needed to get out of there.

She ran into her room, locked her door and threw on the first thing she saw. She needed to get out as fast as she could. She had just thrown a pair of blue jeans in one of her bags when she heard a soft knock on the door.

“Go away!” she said. She tried to keep the fear out of her voice, but she couldn’t stop shaking all over. The knock was louder.

“Pacifica… open up. I need to talk to you. It’s your Dippy-poo.” Dipper said.

“No!” She screamed.

From outside the door came a sound that sent panic coursing through her veins.

A tiny bell.

“You need to listen to me.” Dipper said and rang the bell again. There was a swift kick, and Pacifica let out a scream. With a final kick, the door exploded, and Dipper stood there with a plastic smile and the bell her father would ring at her.

“You’re such a disappointment.” Dipper said. Pacifica’s knees couldn’t hold her up. She scurried back as Dipper slowly approached her, ringing the bell with each step. Dipper reached down, grabbed Pacifica by the hair and dragged her out of the bedroom and into the hall. “If you keep this up, I’m going to put you in the closet again.”

“No… no, no, not the closet!” Pacifica sobbed. Her mind flashed to the tiny closet her father would put her in, and starve her for weeks if she ever got less than perfect scores on anything.

Before she realized, she was in front of the portrait that held Dipper’s secret room. The panel was already slid opened, waiting for a bio-print.

“OPEN IT!” Dipper screamed and rang the bell.

“No…” she said defiantly. Her neck snapped to the side as the back of Dipper’s hand connected with her cheek. Pacifica looked at her husband defiantly. “Who are you? You’re not my husband.”

A wicked grin crept across his face.

“I just wanted to see my baby again…” Dipper said and rang the bell. “Jingle jingle jingle!”

Pacifica chest gripped in panic.

“No… you’re not him… you can’t be him!” She said with a sob as Dipper grabbed her sore wrist and dragged her to the bio-print panel. He slammed her closed fist on the reader a few times before forcing her hand opened and pressing it against it. Pacifica cried as the elevator opened up.

Dipper grabbed Pacifica by her hair and dragged her into the elevator.

“I was so proud of you for marrying Dipper. Did you know that? He was wonderful, a hard worker with a sharp mind. Then you steal all I worked for and kick me out of my own house? You thought I would forget that?” Dipper screamed and slapped her again.

The last strike shook her out of her panic. Pacifica was dragged into the golden room and let go.

“This is where he kept her...” Dipper said to himself as he rubbed his hand on the amber entombed Billeah.

“Fiddleford, CODE LLAMA 0!” Pacifica shouted.

“What?” Dipper yelled and turned to Pacifica. The rows of books in the bookshelves erupted in flames. The computer bays sizzled and smoked and the screen exploded out, showering the two of them in glass.

When the carnage was over, Dipper walked around the room calmly and took in the scene.

“Clever girl… First you lock me out, and then destroy all your husband’s work, lest it falls into the wrong hands. All I really wanted was Fiddleford anyway.” Dipper said. He walked over to the man in peanut brittle and ripped the wires out. With a few good punches, the casing fell away, exposing the old man to air for the first time in over ten years.

“Wake up!” Dipper said with a slap. Fiddleford’s eyes shot opened, and he gasped for air and clutched his chest. “What’s wrong with him?”

Pacifica smiled and said nothing. Dipper was on the phone screaming into it about something, she couldn’t hear over the death gasps of Fiddleford,

“He was terminal when we entombed him, by breaking the seal; you let his body succumb to the last few minutes of his life we’ve prevented for over ten years.” Pacifica said snidely. “Now whose plan didn’t go as expected… Daddy?”

Dipper was on the phone again and sat down in a chair.

“Why?” Pacifica asked. “Why work for that square?”

“Rick? He and I have some great plans for this world. With Fiddleford gone… that leaves...two of Bill’s avatars left. You… and the other.” Dipper said. “And we’re close to finding the other.”

“So… you man enough to kill your own daughter and grandchildren, father?” Pacifica said. Dipper grinned.

“Oh, that would be so easy right?” Dipper said. “No… you’ll see what I have planned for you.”

Dipper looked up, Pacifica followed suit. She saw a red flame moving in a circle in the ceiling. Someone was burning their way into the room from the floor above!

“I’d step back…” Dipper said. The ceiling collapsed with a thunderous crash. The glass covers for the talismans shattered, and Billeah was knocked to the floor. Pacifica was relieved the amber held, and she was ok.

‘You idiots!” Dipper shouted. “I can’t reach anything in there!”

Some of the workers rappelled down, and attached hooks to one side of the fallen ceiling. They winched the large piece on its side and more men attached rope around the amber egg and hoisted it up. Dipper walked to where the three journals were and gathered them up. He put his foot in a loop at the end of a rope and was pulled up to the top floor with the journals and Billeah.

Pacifica slid to the floor and looked at the carnage in front of her. It was all destroyed. She waited to hear if there was any movement. When she was satisfied. she picked her way across the floor and gathered up the remaining talismans, bundling them all up in Mabel’s sweater and opened the elevator.

**********

Dipper felt a shock to his chest and jolted awake.

“What the hell have you been doing to me?” Dipper recognized Mr. Northwest’s voice.

“You’ve been gone for three weeks, We kept him sedated, but he kept going to the bathroom on himself because he was so bombed out of his mind, we just hosed him down as best we could.” The girl said. Was that Wendy?

He still couldn’t see. If only he knew where he was… he could get out of there.

Dipper’s face burst with pain and his head was thrown to the side and he fell to the floor.

“Pick him up!” Mr. Northwest ordered. “I’ve wanted to do this to him for a long time…

Dipper’s mind checked out as his body was pummeled and bloodied by his father in law. He wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of screaming. Until he felt the current on his chest and the smell of burning flesh, then he let out an unearthly howl.

“Don’t keep the jumper cables on him too long, I want him alive.” Mr. Northwest said. The electricity subsiding was a welcome relief. Dipper shook his head and strained against his bindings. He’d already figured out how to escape, he just needed to know where he was. He rocked himself back and forth and flung himself on the ground. He raked his face across the floor, and pulled up the eye-patch that was covering his good eye. Someone pulled him up and covered his eye with the patch again, but it was too late… he saw a box that said Gleeful Manufacturing. They were in the warehouse owned by Buddy Gleeful. Now all he had to do is wait.

**********

Pacifica watched the news as pre-recorded footage of her husband was airing on all the channels.

“I wish to announce my retirement from Northwest-Pines Industries.” Dipper said. “I wish to live a quiet life and raise my family. I am selling off all my and my wife’s stakes in the company to the various shareholders, who can run it when I step down. Most of my earnings will be donated to the Xarol Foundation. They will oversee the wildlife preserve I have been lobbying for and ensure a safe and clean habitat for the denizens of Gravity Falls.

“I appreciate all the support you have given me in my endeavors, but I do not wish to fall into the corporate trap. I have enough sustainability to live, and do not need to partake in an excessive lifestyle that sets me apart from the simple roots I came from. Gravity Falls is my home, and I plan to stay there to raise my family.” Dipper said. The recording ended as a group of marketing analysts franticly argued over what this was doing to the company stock. She had turned off her cell phone hours ago, just to keep from hearing it ring constantly.

It was all over.

“Pacifica!” Someone shouted… was that Blendin? “Come help!”

Pacifica sat up and ran to the entrance hall. Blendin was knelt over a crumpled body that smelt of charred flesh. He was bleeding from cuts and covered in bruises. She rolled him over to see her husband’s face swollen and purple.

“I… I made it back.” he mumbled through lips that were swollen shut. 

Pacifica ran to the first-aid kit rushed back.

“What… how?” Pacifica asked Blendin as she stanched the wounds.

“I got an ad in the paper. I went to see Dipper next week and was told what happened, and that I need to save him and drop him off here.”

“Help me get him to our bed.” Pacifica said. Blendin obliged and helped him up the stairs and into their room.

“I… I need to go. He said I can’t really talk to him much till next week.” Blendin said. Pacifica nodded and gave him a hug.

“Thank you for bringing him home to Mme.” she said.

“You’re welcome… it’s been a really bad week for you, and I wish I can tell you it’s going to get better… but it’s not.” Blendin said.

“I know… but we’ll weather this storm. You brought my husband back to me, that’s all I can ask.”

Blendin nodded and pulled the time tape. She covered her eyes and he was gone with a flash of light.

Pacifica sat next to her husband and patted the blood off his face with a damp towel. His hand rose up and touched her swollen cheek. She winced, but smiled at him.

“Who?” he asked.

“It doesn’t matter… you’re back to normal.” Pacifica said.

“Who?” he asked again.

“My father… he looked like you, I didn’t know how he did it, but… since you left to get food after seeing Billeah…” Pacifica said. “It’s almost been three weeks of hell. I don’t know how he did it. I think it has something to do with whatever Wendy took from the shack.”

“Carpet… switches people.” Dipper mumbled. “They have… the carpet. Trust… no… one”

Dipper passed out. Pacifica silently undressed him and tended his wounds. She wanted to cry and scream over what they did to him, but she was too tired to feel. Once everything was taped and stitched, she slid into bed with him and held him for the first time in what felt like forever.


	13. Giving Up

**_October 1, 2035_ **

“You need to eat something!” Pacifica said. Dipper winced as she spooned applesauce into his half opened mouth. He swallowed the food and felt like he was immediately going to throw it back up. “I can’t believe he did this to you.”

Dipper turned away from her and his eyes rested on the familiar single bed across from his.

“I… just need to heal.” Dipper whispered. “We’ll get it all back.”

After Blendin rescued him, it wasn’t even twenty four hours before Mr. Northwest evicted the two of them from Northwest Manor. While in his body, Preston transferred ownership back to him and gloated as security escorted them out. The Mystery Shack was the only property left and he was unable to do much with it as it was in Mabel’s name.

“I don’t care about that!” Pacifica said. “I… I don’t care about the clothes, the shoes, or the cars. I care about you.”

“Thank you… I don’t deserve it.” Dipper mumbled. His face was swollen and eyelids puffy. The hospital gave him a clean bill of health; he only a few fractures, a minor concussion and many, many stitches. Most of the damage to his face was superficial and should clear up in a few weeks.

“Dipper…” Pacifica said. She ran a cool cloth over his face. The sensation washed over him in a wave of euphoria.

“You’re too good to me.” He whispered.

“Yeah…” she said. Dipper knew the tone of bad news. “I went to talk to Billeah before everything went to hell.”

Dipper tried to sit up and yelped in pain. His ribs protested any upward movement.

“Wha-? How?” Dipper asked.

“I was worried about you, and well, I had Gideon help me with the spell you used.” She said.

“The babies…” Dipper said.

“Were fine, they came in with me and played with Billeah some.” Pacifica said with a grin. Her smile crumbled and tears fell down her cheeks. “I… I really messed up.”

“What happened?” Dipper asked. He rolled over to his side to listen better.

“I… she told me about you two. I know you told me, but she… I just, hearing it from her and knowing all these years. I yelled… no screamed at her.” she said. “I pushed the tree down and left after saying horrible things to her.”

“Oh…” was all Dipper could say. Pacifica tried to hold back her sobs, but they forced their way to the surface and she let loose the floodgates.

“I… I was going to go back and apologize. I was hurt! I felt like I was losing you, that I _had_ lost you, especially the way you were acting!” Pacifica said. Dipper held his hand against her cheek and wiped away the tears. “And now they have her… and the journals. I can’t even fix what I said to her. We’re cut off from everything and it’s all my fault. I should have known this would happen!” 

“She’s stronger than that, and we’ll get her back, thanks to you.” Dipper said.

“Why thank me?” Pacifica asked.

“You did the Llama 0 code.” He said with a chuckle. “That’s a data dump to our remote site. Backup and burn.”

“Remote site? You never told me about that!” Pacifica said.

“And it’s a good thing, too.” Dipper grinned. “I’ll show you later… but first, how’s Mabel?

“She’s still in recovery. They won’t let me talk to her alone. We are trying to get her doctor changed; the guy she is seeing was completely desensitized to anything she said. The conditions are nice, but it’s very… clinical.”

“I have… some overseas accounts we can still use.” Dipper chucked. “Thankfully you have a paranoid husband. I actually had a contingency in case something like this happened.”

“What do you do? Sit up at night and think of the most insane possibilities?” Pacifica asked.

“When you make a deal with a demon and they use you as a puppet… you tend to become slightly paranoid about everything.” Dipper chuckled. “So, we can move her to someplace nicer until they give her a clean bill of health. It’s not enough money to bring back Northwest-Pines Industries, but enough to start over and come up with another strategy.”

Pacifica rested her head on Dipper’s chest and put his hand on her ever swelling stomach.

“I don’t want to say this… I promised you I wouldn’t say this.” She whispered. “This… this was the closest we’ve come to losing you.”

“You want me to give up.” Dipper said, more as a statement. Pacifica nodded. “Billeah? Mabel? Gideon? Give up on them too?”

HIs lips stung when he spoke, he could feel the scabs split open, but he ignored the pain. Pacifica buried herself in his chest and clung onto him. Dipper sighed, running his fingers through her hair.

“Okay.” he whispered. His heart ached just saying those words. “Mabel… we need to get her out. Once she’s with us… it’s over.”

“No… no don’t say that.” Pacifica whispered. “I promised I’d never ask you to choose that. You’re throwing away everything our lives have been.”

“What’s left?” Dipper asked. “What’s really left? You and Mabel are all that I have. I… I can’t lose either one of you. It hurts me to know Billeah’s gone, but she’s safe. I know she is. I can feel it. Rick’s won, and there’s nothing I can do but protect those closest to me.”

Pacifica crawled into the single bed he slept in when he first arrived in Gravity Falls. It’s smaller than he remembered, but they made it work. Pacifica kissed his nose and cheek, neck and hands. Dipper closed his eyes as she unbuttoned his shirt with steady and determined hands, and ran her hands over his scarred chest.

“I need you.” She whispered. Dipper tried to smile with his sore and bruised face and took her in his arms.

**********

Dipper woke with a start. He felt next to him and found the bed empty.

“Pacifica!” he shouted. His dry, scab covered lips cracked when he yelled. His one good eye was still swollen half shut. He stumbled out of bed and ran to the top of the stairs. “Pacifica!”

“Hey!” came a worried voice from behind him. “Hey, it’s okay, I’m here.”

He turned around to find his wife in a towel, brushing her hair.

“I only took a shower. Go lay back down.”

Dipper ran to her and picked her up, burrowing his face into her hair and neck.

“I thought I lost you…” he whispered. Pacifica dropped the hairbrush and held her husband. Dipper felt her arms wrap tight around him and rock him back and forth.

“Come back to bed.” She said. “You still have a lot of healing to do.”

Dipper let himself be led back to the bed. He laid on his side while Pacifica pulled up a chair and sat next to him and continued to brush her hair. Dipper’s hand rested on her knee. She smiled at him, took the brush and ran it through his hair.

“I may not have an appointment till next week, but I know what we’re having.” Pacifica whispered.

Dipper moaned an acknowledgement.

“When I was with Billeah, I said they came in with me. They were two cute baby llamas. They both had matching patterns, but I could tell it was a boy and a girl.” Pacifica said. “I’ve… been thinking of names.”

“Oh?” Dipper said, a sly grin crept across his face.  

“DJ?” Pacifica said.

“DJ?” Dipper asked.

“Dipper Junior.” Pacifica said.

“If he’s going to be a junior, shouldn’t we use…” Dipper said.

“No… we agreed to keep your real name secret. I don’t know what you’re parents were thinking. I almost broke up with you when you finally told me.” Pacifica chided.

“Yeah… it is pretty terrible.” Dipper chuckled. “What’s about our baby girl?”

“Dharma.” Pacifica said. Dipper nodded.

“Yeah… DJ and Dharma.” 

**********

Dipper stared at his sister through one way glass. Sores covered her body and the room she was in had drawings all over the walls.

“What’s going on with her?” Dipper asked.

“She’s been steadily declining into paranoid delusions. She’s constantly talking about someone named Rick and that your minds were switched out with someone else.” The doctor said.

“The sores?” Dipper asked. He was trying to be civil about the whole ordeal, Pacifica touched his shoulder, warning him to stay calm.

“Self-inflicted. We need to keep her sedated and restrained most of the time.” 

“I… want to sign her out. I have a facility I’d like to continue her treatment. Someplace less… clinical.” Dipper said.

“I’m afraid I can’t allow that. Her stay here is court ordered, since she did attempt suicide.” The doctor said. “I honestly don’t feel she’s safe to be moved.”

Dipper wanted to come sooner, but his injuries needed to heal.

“Can we have the specialist come in and work with her?” Pacifica asked. The doctor shrugged.

“I don’t see an issue with it, but she’s not going to be moved until I say she’s ready.” the doctor said. Dipper wanted to throttle the smug look off his face.

“Thank you, we’ll be in touch.” Pacifica said, she got up and squeezed Dipper’s shoulder. _Get out before you do something stupid._

Dipper shook the doctor’s hand and left.

As they walked out of the office, Dipper almost knocked over the food cart. Looking up, he saw the cook from Greasy’s diner pushing a hamburger laden cart.

“Oh, sorry to bump ya, Mr. Pines.” He said with a grin.

“What are you doing here?” Dipper growled.

“I’ve been commin’ here for years. I help out and cook for them on a voluntary-like basis.” He grinned.

“Dipper… lets go.” Pacifica whispered and pulled his arm.

“Hey, Don’t think I don’t know what you guys are doing!” Dipper lunged at the man. He backed away and held his arms up in surrender.

“I just give them food, Don’t know what you’re talking about.” He said. “Your sister can’t get enough of my hamburgers.”

Dipper jerked his hand loose from Pacifica, knocking her to the floor. He connected a right cross to the cook’s chin, knocking him into the wall. Dipper kicked over the tray of hamburgers and stomped them into the ground.

“You don’t think I know what you put in these? I know your plans! You can tell Preston I won’t let him get away with this!” 

Six massive orderlies slammed into Dipper and held him against a wall. The doctor rushed out to see the commotion.

“What is wrong with you Mr. Pines? Is mental instability something that runs in your family?” He said.

“That bastard’s drugging my sister and probably the rest of your building!” Dipper screamed.

“Nonsense, I just had a meal this afternoon and I’m fine.” the doctor said. “I suggest you leave before I call the Sheriff. We both know you don’t want that to happen.”

Dipper took a breath and shook off the orderlies holding him against the wall. He walked over to Pacifica and helped her up.

“I’m so sorry… did I hurt you?” He asked. Pacifica shook her head no.

“This isn’t over.” Dipper said, and left. 

**********

“I can’t take you anywhere can I?” Pacifica said, rubbing her back.

“Sorry… when I was in your father’s body, they fed me nothing but hamburgers, I could barely keep my sanity. If they’re feeding that to Mabel…” Dipper said.

“She’s safe for now.” Pacifica said. “We need to regroup and figure a way to get her out of there. Do you think we can use Blendin? Just have him snatch her and we run to Denmark?”

Dipper rubbed his temples.

“I… we can talk about it with him. I just…”

“... hate giving up?” Pacifica said. Dipper nodded. “Hey, we’ll get her out. Hell, we might as well break out Gideon while we’re at it.”

“Okay… I’ll try and work out a plan.” Dipper said.

**********

Pacifica sat in the small doctor’s office. She checked her messages and loaded up Candy Crush to pass the time. There was a small knock on the door. She felt guilty that she didn’t bring Dipper, but he’s not in a good place to hear anything bad.

“Come in.” she said.

“Mrs. Northwest-Pines,” her doctor said. She was holding a folder to her chest and looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there.

“What is it?” She asked. Ever since Dipper knocked her down, she’d been feeling light headed and dizzy.

“The ultrasound shows you’re babies are fine.” She said with a smile.

“Give me the folder.” Pacifica said.

“It’s just…”

“I’m a nurse, I can read a chart.” Pacifica said. Her doctor handed over the cart. Pacifica flipped through the pages and closed her eyes. “If you say anything to anyone… I will have you disbarred.”

“But… your husband?” She asked

“He doesn’t need to know, never mention it with future visits.” Pacifica said softly. “Our priority is the children… got it?”

“Yes… but.”

“Do we understand one another?” Pacifica said coolly.

“Yes.”

**********

“So… that’s what I want to do… can you help?” Dipper asked.

Blandin looked over the schematics to the prison and the mental hospital Mabel was in.

“It’s… possible. GTB did upgrade my clearance level to participate in timeline events. It’s just…”

“It’s just what?” Dipper snapped. “I need to get my sister out of there!”

“I… I know. It’s just… you’re quitting.” Blendin said with a disappointed sigh. “You roped me into all this, and now that I’m on board for stopping Rick, it just feels… empty, and it doesn’t explain why there are ads calling for me another…” Blenin winced. “undisclosed number of times.” 

“No… no no no… don’t tell me that. Damnit! I want out!” Dipper set his head down on the kitchen table. “I just want out.”

“I get it… I really do, but GTB says you’ve got lots to do.” Blendin said. “And… I came here to let you know that I found his location.”

“I don’t want to hear it Blendin…” Dipper said.

“He’s in Antarctica… right in the center. There’s a structure that’s buried in ice.”

“Stop… stop it.” Dipper groaned.

“Rick is gathering an expedition to go there right now.” Blendin continued. He touched the terminal on his arm and pulled up a video that hovered in the air in front of Dipper.

“If… If it was only that, I’d say forget it…. but you should really look up.” Blendin said. Dipper looked at the screen. There was a slow moving procession of vehicles working its way down the ice flats. Blendin pushed a button and zoomed in.

“Dipper…” Pacifica said from behind him. She must have gotten back from the doctor’s office. She put her hand on his shoulder and stood next to him.

Looking up, the video left him speechless. Riding in the front truck next to Preston Northwest was Billeah, blankly staring out the window with a look of boredom.   


	14. Jail Break

**_October 10, 2035_ **

Dipper stalked through the shack swearing to himself. He didn’t know where he was going or what he was doing. Blendin sat at the kitchen table, keeping to himself.

“Dipper!” Pacifica said, following behind him. “Dipper talk to me!”

“No! I’m done! We’re done!” Dipper shouted. “I… damnit!”

Dipper punched the wall, knocking down a photo of Stan, Stanley, Mabel, Billeah, Tyrone and himself.

Dipper picked up the photo and cleared off the broken glass from the frame.

“What do I do?” he whispered. “Stan… Grandpa… what do I do?”

“You know what we do.” Pacifica said. “I… I was wrong to even hint about giving up. Billeah’s alive and awake. Rick has her and as selfish as I am, even I know this is bad and we need to get her back.”

Dipper noticed a faded piece of paper behind the photo. He pulled it out and saw familiar handwriting. It was the IOU from Tiger he got when he was in juvie. He doubted the guy would even remember him, but it gave him an idea none the less.

“We’re going to need to pull out all the stops if we’re going to be doing this.” Dipper said. “I need to talk to McGucket.”

“Where’s the new Data Center?” Pacifica asked. Dipper walked back to the kitchen and waved to Blendin to follow him.

“I’m sorry I kept some secrets from you. Mabel, Soos, and I are the only ones who know about this place… that and Agent Trigger.” He said, adding another name on his growing list.

Dipper led his wife and Blendin to the gift shop of the Mystery Shack.

“Hey man…” Robbie said with a slur.

“Hey Robbie, You can head home now. I’ll be closing up the Shack for some repairs.” Dipper said.

“Aww man…” Robbie said. “Dude… Will ya just stop lying to me please?”

“What are you talking about?” Dipper asked.

“Dude… I may be… a zombie… but I kinda know what’s going on around here.” Robbie said. “I’m dead but not deaf.”

“What do you mean?” Dipper asked.

“You guys walk around me like I’m just furniture. I play along for the most part, but I know Wendy’s gone from town. Mabel’s in the nut house and Gideon was hiding out at your place and is in jail again.” Robbie said.

“And... how do you know all this?” Dipper looked at Robbie suspiciously.

“Dude… everyone knows I’m a zombie… when they come in here, they talk about all kinds of stuff. I really try to remember the important things… it’s hard sometimes. Anyway, I heard you’re going to be helping Mabel and your cousin… I just wanted to help. You’ve done a lot for me, letting me work here even though I don’t really do anything.” Robbie said.

Dipper looked Robbie up and down. His normal blank stare has subsided mostly.

“You realize your mother is a part of all this?” Dipper asked. Robbie’s face wore a stern look and nodded.

“Here Robbie… if you’re going to help us, You need to dress warm.” Pacifica said. Dipper didn’t see when she left, but she held out his old black hoodie. Robbie reached out for it and touched the fabric.

“I… I remember this.” He said.

“It still has some attachment to you.” Pacifica pressed. “Put it on.”

Robbie nodded and put the hoodie on. He zipped it up and looked down at the heart over his chest. Dipper swore there was some color that came back to his face. Dipper was able to add another name to his list.

Dipper locked the door and pulled the blinds.

“Ok, follow me.” He said. Moving to the vending machine he punched in the old code to the lab. The vending machine swung opened and led the group downstairs.

**********

Mabel stared at a wall. The doctor gave her a marker and asked her to show her where the square shows up. Whenever he did, she would cross it out.

It never helped.

She saw him everywhere. The room they gave her was covered in drawing and designs. It took all her concentration to form a thought as she doodled on the white canvas in front of her.

She wished she could have colors.

Mabel heard that Dipper and Pacifica had arrived… she met with a new doctor who gave her the markers. The orderlies cleaned the drawings when she slept, so she awoke to white walls every morning, and had to redo her work. She didn’t mind.

Mable was drawing a tree when she heard an orderly come in her room. Was it time for dinner?

“Mabel” the orderly whispered. Her unfocused eyes looked over and saw no one where she normally looks. “Down here!”

Mabel looked down and saw an orderly about five feet tall. She couldn’t help but laugh.

“Aren’t you a little short to be a stormtrooper?” She giggled.

“Oh, haha.” said the orderly he kept his hat down and fidgeted with the towel cart. “Hurry up and get in!”

“But… that’s the towel cart… is it time for showers?” Mabel asked. She thought she recognized the small man who is bugging her.

“Get in! We got to go!” He pleaded. He lifted up his hat to reveal a pale face with white hair.

“I… I know you…” Mabel slurred. “You're… a jerkface aren’t you?”

“Yes, a huge one. Now get in!” He stomped. Mabel giggled and laid on the floor. “Mabel! You’re brother’s gone! We need to get you out of here before Rick gets really pissed off for what he did!”

The use of Rick’s name seemed to snap Mabel out of her haze. Dipper was gone? She looked at Gideon looking nervously out the door. There were two jagged cuts criss-crossing over the bridge of his nose. When did he get those?

“Get in here!” He said again. Mabel nodded and crawled into the towel cart. He shoved towels around her as she held herself as small as she could.

She could feel him pushing her slowly down the hall. What was going on? What’s happening to her brother?

The cart she hid in felt like something slammed into it. She heard water spraying and people screaming in panic. The cart sped up; Mabel could hear Gideon screaming at people about a fire and the need to evacuate.

The echo around them grew; she peeked out and saw rows and rows of cars. They stopped at black van. Gideon threw the towels aside and pulled her up.

“Get in the back, change your clothes, put on the wig. HURRY!” He said, running to the front of the van and started the engine.

Mable climbed in and slammed the back door. The adrenalin must have been clearing her mind, she was starting to think clearly.

‘What happened?” She asked.

“I set a few spells on the gas main.. it’s going to look like an accident, like a slow leak built up under your room.” he said as he backed out of the garage. He sped out of the parking garage and flew through the parking lot and onto the street.

“Wait… under my room?” Mabel asked. “Isn’t that… obvious?”

“Ya’d think… that’s why we got a replacement for you… nothing’s left but a few bones and you’d be too incinerated for a viable DNA test. I did attach your hospital bracelet… they should put two and two together and think Dipper tried to get you out, but screwed it up.”

Mabel found a duffle bag and put on the clothes. She recognized her old clothes, and was happily surprised though they were baggy on her. She guessed a few months at the mental hospital let her drop a few sizes.

“So… you said something about Dipper?” Mabel asked, climbing into the passenger seat.

“Wig!” Gideon snapped. “Don’t want any traffic cameras seein’ ya”

Mabel reached back and put on a blond wig that looked like Pacifica’s old hair cut.

“Could you have picked a better one?” She complained.

“Sure… we’ll stop by the wig store and let you pick one out.” Gideon said.

“You said something about my brother?” Mabel asked.

“He went after Rick… Billeah’s awake and he went after her.” Gideon said.

“How? Did he tell you?” Mabel asked.

“Yes, during my last letter. I was told that Blendin would show up and get me out of jail, but… he never did.” Gideon said.

“What? When was this?” Mabel asked.

“Three days ago. I’ve not heard from him since… I’ve heard from no one.” Gideon said as he sped down the road.

“You want me wearing a wig, but your driving is going to get us killed.” Mabel said.

“We need to get to the Shack.. I don’t know where your guys’s secret room is.”

“Wait… Blendin was supposed to get you… how did you get out of prison?” Mabel asked.

“That wasn’t as easy as you’d think… but I got out with only maiming a few guards.” Gideon said. “I knew if Dipper went after Rick and Blendin didn’t come get me, then he didn’t get you.”

“You were worried about me?” Mabel asked.

“Yes… I’m always worried about you. I may be a jerkface, but you’ve been my only friend.” Gideon said.

“You know how pathetic that is right?” Mabel pointed out.

“Yeah.” Gideon said. “We’re here.”

They sped up the gravel driveway to the familiar sight of the Mystery Shack. None of the lights were on. Mabel felt a heavy sense of dread hanging over the familiar house.

“I thought I’d never see this place again.” Mabel said, getting out of the Van.

“Yeah… we need to go… Hurry!” Gideon said as he ran to the door. To Mabel’s surprise, it was unlocked.

“Hello?” Mabel asked. Robbie was gone. The place looked brand new except for a light layer of dust.

“We need to go to his second lab…” Gideon said. “He said you’d know where it was.”

“How do I know I can trust you?” Mabel asked, her paranoia was creeping up her spine. What if this was Rick’s plan? Break her out of the crazy house to lead him to Dipper’s secret lair?

“We don’t have time for this.” Gideon pleaded.

Mabel sighed. She needed to find her brother. She’d keep an eye on him and deal with him if he was a turncoat.

Mabel walked to the vending machine and pushed in the code. It slid opened to reveal the stairs to the elevator that lead to the underground lab. Gideon and Mabel entered the elevator and pushed the down button.

As they got out of the elevator the lights turned on. The lab looked like the old one they found as kids, but retrofitted with the latest tech Dipper could find. Mabel’s sense of dread was engulfing. There was a stillness that pressed around her she couldn’t shake off.

They made their way to the center of the room. A large desk held numerous keyboards and massive touchscreen displays. Mabel pressed one and the face of Fiddleford greeted her.

“Well Heya Mabel!” it greeted her. She jumped out of her skin.

“Ah! Fiddleford!” She said, holding her chest. Fiddleford went crosseyed for a moment and he chuckled.

“Got you and Gideon all squared away now.” He said.

“What do you mean?” Gideon asked.

“Well, you both faked your deaths… I made sure that they won’t be questioned and set you both up with new names. Should be a week before the license and social security cards get here.” He said.

“How…?” Gideon stammered.

“I’m everywhere…” Fiddleford said. “I heard of the explosion where Mabel was. I figured you’d be the one to do it since… Well, since there’s no one left to.” 

“No one left?” Mabel screamed. “What the hell happened?”

Fiddleford played with his fingers nervously on the monitor.

“Well… let me show you.” he said, and the monitor he was on flipped to a video file of Dipper, Pacifica, Robbie, Blendin and Agent Trigger all standing in a circle talking.

**********

“I need you to get them out of there.” Dipper said to Blendin.

“Hey, you nickel and dime me all the time.” Blendin replied. “The Time Tape is fully charged, if I’m to escort….”

“Three squads.” Agent Trigger replied. Blendin sighed and rubbed his head.

“There’s too many people going. It’s going to need time to re-charge after that. One or two is fine… but we’re talking fifty plus… and vehicles and supplies. We may make it there, and never make it back! I promise, once we’re done, I’ll get them out as soon as I can.” Blendin said.

“You’re right.” Dipper said and nodded his head in agreement. “I don’t want her dealing with the cold after just getting out of the hospital. Grab them as soon as this is over so we can be on our way.”

Blendin nodded.

Ok… so here’s what we’re doing.” Dipper said and went into his plan.

**********

“So what? They just went off to Antarctica?” Mabel said astonished.

“Blendin took them all. Pacifica stayed here to watch over them. I tapped into a few satellites and we were able to track the movements of Preston Northwest’s trek.” he said.

“Where’s Pacifica? You said she was here?” Mabel asked. Fiddleford looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there. ‘WHERE IS SHE?”

“She’s right behind you…” He said softly. Mabel turned around and a locker slid opened to expose Pacifica encased in peanut brittle. 

Mabel’s hands were shaking. She walked up to her sister-in-law. Her eyes were closed, but looked to be in a lot of pain. Her hands were clenched over her large stomach.

“Fiddleford… start from the beginning and tell me everything that happened.” Mabel said, her voice quivering each word. 


	15. Rescue Mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't normally do notes on each chapter, but I would really like the readers to comment on this one please. I took a lot of time with how I wanted to tell this part and I tried to write it in a unique perspective. I would love feedback on what I did (don't want to spoil anything!)

**_October 11, 2035_ **

 

Mabel pulled her legs to her chest and rocked back and forth. She stared at the various cameras angles the agents turned on while they did their mike checks. Gideon sat next to her, a stern look on his face.

“So… You have recorded everything?” Gideon asked.

“As much as I could…” Fiddleford said.

“What about in here?” Mabel asked. “What about Pacifica?”

Wordlessly another video feed opened up and was placed in the middle of the massive screen. Mabel counted at least thirty feeds playing simultaneously. Pacifica sat where Mabel was. She looked tired, and her hands danced across the controls. Mabel pressed the feed to have it expand full screen.

“Fiddleford, the satellite is geo-locked over the entry point. Once Blendin gets you in, I’ll have eyes in the sky. Dad’s about an hour to the digging location.” Pacifica said.

“Thanks, love,” Dipper replied. “Ok… so the satellite is going to dig us a tunnel to where the GTB’s temple is. Once we’re in, We try and wake him up, and have GTB teleport himself somewhere else. Once he’s safe, We lead a frontal assault on Preston and get Billeah.” Dipper said.

Mabel shrunk Pacifica’s feed and opened up one of the agent’s cameras to see Dipper speaking to the group. They were in some large airport hangar surrounded with equipment and vehicles.

“What about extraction?” Agent Trigger asked. Mabel could barely recognize the young government agent. He had to be pushing 60 now, his hair was receding and he had the haunted look of a man who has seen too much.

“We ran the numbers… we can get two teleports out of the tape with a group this size before it breaks… Once we’re safe, Blendin has a rip cord he can use to get back to his own timeline.” Dipper said. Agent Trigger stepped forward.

“As much as we all would like to have this work accordingly. We’ve already sent an icebreaker to the coast. Should something go wrong, we’re going to have to make our way to the coast for pickup. Each truck is outfitted with enough supplies to keep all of us comfortable for the trip, should we lose a few, we’ll be ok.” Agent Trigger said.

“So… we’re all ready to go?” Dipper asked. Mabel saw Robbie was next to him and wearing his hoodie! Blendin stood up and walked next to Dipper. “You sure this will work?”

“I...I think so.” Blendin stammered. Dipper held out a rope and Blendin took hold of it. The rest of the agents grabbed a rope in front of them. She noticed the same rope was looped through the various trucks and snowmobiles that filled the hangar. “If… If you catch on fire… just try and put snow on it quickly. It’s not that big of a deal.”

Mabel’s cameras winked out, the only ones active were Pacifica's and a security camera in the hanger. With a wink, the entire place was empty.

“So… that’s how they got there before Preston.” Mabel said to herself. The cameras came back on and she was assaulted by screams.

“Just… Just pat it out!” Blendin screamed over someone and threw snow on him. The cameras were shaking and she couldn’t see clearly over all the commotion. She saw one of the jeeps was a charred husk. Three agents who were spared a fiery entry were shoveling snow on a snowmobile that had ignited.

Agent Trigger and Dipper moved from person to person, helping them calm down and extinguish leftover flames.

“Ok… everyone alright?” Agent Trigger called with a booming voice. “I can’t believe my unit lost it over a little bit of spontaneous combustion! You’re better than this, now pull yourselves together!”  

Like a well-oiled machine, Mabel watched as they unloaded various armaments, split into groups and started the snowCATS and snowmobiles. She focused on Dipper’s camera. Dipper sat in the lead snowCAT and loaded up his tablet.

“Pacifica, we’re about a mile out, wanna make us a hole?” He asked.

“Sure thing, sweetie.” Pacifica said. To Mabel’s astonishment, a column of light fell from the heavens directly in their path. She could hear scattered cries from the agents.

“Fiddleford! What the hell was that?” Gideon shouted. His face was wide eyed in surprise.

“That… was a secret project we worked on.” Fiddleford chuckled. “It’s a solar collector, and it was supposed to send down energy to a power plant… we just… repurposed it to melt a hole in the ice.”

“Dipper has a space laser?” Mabel stammered. “He’s like… one step away from becoming Dr. Evil!”

“Dippy… I got the entrance down to a 30 degree slope. Just be careful when you go in, it’s a mile down.” Pacifica said. Mabel watched her rub the already massive belly bump in worry. It was a good idea to keep her here.

“Sure thing.” Dipper said.

Mabel watched the videos for an hour with Gideon. The slow trek across the frozen wastelands was dull and tedious. Pacifica updated the crew with detailed reports of Preston Northwest’s location.

“Uhh… lets fast forward!” Gideon moaned. “I want to know what happened.”

“Shush!” Mabel snapped. “Anything can be a clue…”

She wished she had her brother’s eye for detail. She fretted that she’d miss something important, a stray sentence or gesture that her brother would latch onto. Apparently, Blendin’s time-tape set them down five miles from where they were supposed to be, so they proceeded at almost a snail’s pace.

Mabel felt Gideon tapped her shoulder and she woke up with a snort.

“Look…” he said and pointed to the screens.

“Crap! Why’d you let me fall asleep?” Mabel panicked. “Rewind it!”

“NO!” Gideon “I won’t suffer through another hour of lord of the rings… I swear to god it was just as boring. All they did was walk… or drive very slowly to the giant melted hole… you didn’t miss much.”

Mabel sighed. She could comb through the footage later. She pressed the image of Dipper’s cam and brought it full screen.

“.. and we should send in the parrot to check out the temple. If the structure is sound we can send in the first team…” Agent Trigger said.

“I’d like to go in with them.” Dipper said. Mabel smiled, she didn’t know where the cameras were... probably something like Google Glass, but she saw a pen move near the lens and heard her brother chewing on it.

“No.” Trigger replied. “You, Blendin and Robbie are too valuable to be in the line of fire, your protection is number one.”

At least _someone_ is trying to be responsible. If Dipper had his way, he’d lead the charge. Mabel was surprised he didn’t pull in favors from the supernatural community for this rescue. Her brother was probably worried about getting someone hurt, but she’d feel much better having an army of Manotaurs backing him up.

“Dipper… Fiddleford said that Rick’s group is about an hour behind you. Hurry up!” Pacifica said.

“Looks cleared. We have about foot of ice between the end and the temple GTB is sleeping.” one of the agents reported.

“Alright. Get some melters down there. I want a hole in ten minutes. No explosive, we don’t want to bring the whole thing down on us.” Agent trigger ordered. Mabel saw six men break from the camp that was being made and slid down the icy slide.

“Alright we got an hour before they get here. I want this place rigged with mortars. Snipers, dig out a hole above the entrance. We’re not in anyone’s jurisdiction, so shoot to kill.” Agent Trigger said.

“If you see Preston… take him out.” Dipper added coldly.

“It’s about damn time!” Gideon said with a laugh. “Dipper finally got some balls.”

“Shut up!” Mabel snapped and punched Gideon. “He’s… he’s just confused… he didn’t mean that.” 

Mabel’s chest felt like a snake was squeezing it. To hear Dipper casually tell someone to take someone’s life, even if it was Preston’s, was too much. She could taste the salty tears rolling down her cheeks. Was he that far gone?

“You think this is going to be easy?” Agent Trigger asked.

“Nothing is going to be easy with Rick involved. We’re here for a recovery… they’re here for murder.” Dipper said. Mabel saw his hand move to wherever the camera was and it turned off.

“What happened?” Mabel screamed.

“He.. turned off the camera and said something to Agent Trigger. Trigger did the same thing.

“So...that’s what I think.” Dipper said when the camera turned back on.

“I wish I brought more men.” Trigger solemnly replied.

“If we can get the GTB awake, then we have a huge player on our side... no pun intended.” Dipper said.

Mable watched the first team land at the bottom of the shaft. They pulled out blowtorches and proceeded to melt a hole in the wall of ice in front of them. She was taken aback by the giant pyramid that could be seen through the clear ice.

“How long has that been there?” Mabel asked.

“Antarctica was free of ice about 35 million years ago!” Fiddleford piped in.

“We’ve got movement!” shouted someone. Mabel could see from the sniper’s vantage point some scouts on black snowmobiles. She felt her stomach drop to see them slump off their vehicles after two loud pops.

“Recover those bodies! I want intel!” Agent Trigger snarled. From his camera, she saw Dipper’s stone face.

“Do you think they radioed back before we took them out?” Dipper asked. Agent Trigger shrugged.

“I’m going to assume the worse.” he said. “Set up the sandbags, take cover people!”

Mabel chewed her sleeve as she watched from the eyes of the men as they set up fox holes and got in position to guard the entrance to the Great Time Baby’s lair. No one spoke. Mabel saw the snow dance across the glacier ice in little eddies, ignorant of the loss of life about to take place.

“Pacifica” Her brother spoke up. “Status report.”

“They stopped… there’s some movement from two of the larger trucks… I’m trying to zoom in its…” Pacifica stammered. “Oh god… Oh my god... Get in the tunnel NOW!”

Before anyone could react, the snow exploded, sending a handful of agents flying. Mabel’s view of their cameras went black.

“What was that?!” Mabel screamed.

“Oh… Dipper…” Gideon said, his jaw opened.

“What? What is it?” Mabel screamed. From the satellite view, one of the massive ice trucks carried a large futuristic looking space weapon with rings around the barrel. There was no sign of it even being fired; it just moved slightly to aim. In only mere seconds, one of the trucks exploded.

“I’ve seen Dipper work on this… it’s a rail gun. It uses magnets to launch a tungsten rod miles with crazy accuracy. There’s no explosives… just the sheer force of the collision is like exploding twenty pounds of C4.” Gideon explained. “When Dipper was switched, Preston must have found the prototype…”

“PACIFICA!” Dipper shouted. He was running full speed with Trigger, Robbie and Blendin to the cover of the ice cave. “DO IT!”

Pacifica’s hands were trembling as she worked the controls.

“I...I… got them… targeted.” She said. “Lord… forgive me.”

With a press of a button, the onslaught stopped. Mabel covered her mouth in horror as concentrated photons bombarded the rail-gun and all everyone surrounding it in a hundred foot radius. The armed men were cooked instantly and the ice vaporized. The truck holding the rail-gun withstood the onslaught and fell into the sudden hole, only to explode halfway down.

“We’re out of power…” Pacifica said. She pulled her knees up and covered her mouth, trying not to cry and rocked back and forth. “I… oh god… I just killed twenty people.”

“Honey… I’m so sorry you had to do that. You okay?” Dipper asked.

“I… I just need a minute… the collectors are almost gone… anything more will just be like shining a flashlight on you.” Pacifica said. Mabel was glad her brother couldn’t see her. She got out of the chair and ran to a garbage bin and unloaded her stomach into it.

“We’re in the temple!” one of the men said. Pacifica resumed her post and looked at Preston’s group.

“They’ve resumed their march… You guys hurry!” she said.

Mabel and Gideon stared in awe as the first team broke through the final inches of ice. As they walked through, they saw a massive metal pyramid jutting up from the ground. Its surface was etched in strange writings and above the apex was a small yellow sun.

The heat of the tiny sun had melted away a cavern around the temple. Grass, flowers, and foliage grew unabated. Mabel swore she even saw a small creature scurry away. The agent Mabel was looking through turned to greet Dipper, Blendin and Robbie as they slid down the ice.

“Agent Trigger is holding the fort.” Dipper said. One of the agents nodded and fell behind Dipper as he led everyone forward.

Mabel’s attention moved to Agent Trigger’s camera. A line of Snowmobiles roared into view, Two men with white fatigues rode each one. The passenger fired with machine guns. Agent Trigger flipped a switch and ducked as mortars exploded, shredding the first wave with their ball bearing shrapnel.

The main force was in view. Mabel counted twelve massive snowCATs. They stopped to look over Agent Trigger’s remaining forces.

“This… is not going to be good for them.” Gideon said. Mabel nodded in stunned silence. “Looks like they’re both out of range.”

“Except for the snipers.” Mabel pointed out.

“Disable the vehicles,” Trigger said. Mabel heard scattered shots and a part of her felt glad to see the drivers of the snowCATs take cover behind their massive beasts of burden.

“Shouldn’t they be blowing up?” Mabel asked. Gideon shook his head no.

“They’re using fifty caliber rounds. They’ll take out an engine block and tires, but that’s about it. Nothing explosive, even if they hit the gas tank. That’s only in movies.” Gideon said. “I don’t see how they’re going to advance without being cut to pieces. it’s completely flat, there’s no cover.”

“What’s that buzzing sound?” Mabel asked, and brought up one of the sniper’s cameras. It looked like a large bird was flying overhead. Before the sniper could react, the camera blacked out. Mabel pulled up an outside view and saw the fox hole he was in exploded. Agent Trigger looked up and screamed.

“RPG’S! We got Drones!”

Half a dozen men ran to one of the trucks and unloaded the large RPG launcher tubes and attempted to shoot down the almost silent harbingers of death. Their missiles were targeting the snipers, exploding foxhole after foxhole. Agent Trigger’s efforts managed to down only half of the drones before they turned around and landed behind the disabled trucks.

To Mabel’s ever sinking stomach, she counted almost half of the camera feeds were black.

“He’s going to get out of this… we know your brother. He has a plan of some sort.” Gideon said softly and rested his hand on Mabel’s shoulder. She grabbed it and pulled it in front of her, squeezing it. She needed to hold on to something or she was going to fall down a very dark hole. She didn’t want to say anything, just hope it all turned out well in the end.

The mercenary army advanced on the opening with the precision of military training. Each person moved five steps, knelt and laid down cover fire while the men next to them followed suit. Agent Trigger returned fire as best he could. The remaining RPGs were fired but the holes they opened up were quickly closed.

Agent Trigger’s sat phone rang. He fumbled to pick it up. Fiddleford piped the conversation to the speakers.

“Hey partner…” Said a familiar voice.

“Powers…” Trigger said with a growl. “This whole attack stunk of your sense of overkill.”

“Don’t you think you’ve let enough people die today? For old times sakes, those agents still left alive deserve to go back to their families… at least the ones who stayed.” Agent Powers chuckled to himself. “How is Linda… the kids? I have a team with eyes on them right now. Tell your men to stand down… and they’ll survive the night.”

Mabel could feel the internal struggle Agent Trigger was having. He was looking at his phone, the lock screen showing two little blond girls and a woman smiling at him. He swore under his breath and put the phone back up.

“Fine.” was all he said and hung up the phone. “Phoenix is go.” He said into the radio. All the men laid down their weapons and lined up outside the hole with their hands up in the air.

“Dipper!” Pacifica shouted. “Agent Trigger just gave up! They’re coming in!”

“I heard. We’re still trying to find a way in. This material is something I’ve never seen before. It’s immune to any explosives.”

Agent Trigger stood in front of his men, his hands above his head. Agent Powers and his squad moved forward to meet them. HIs men stood back as Powers met Trigger face to face.

“Been a long time.” Powers said to his old partner.

“I’m older and wiser… can’t say the same for you.” Agent Trigger replied. Mabel was shocked. Agent Powers looked exactly like he did when she was twelve. He should be well into his 80’s by now!

“Rick has some wonderful rejuvenation benefits for the loyal.” Powers gloated. he raised his hand, and to everyone’s horror, his mercenaries opened fire… cutting down the men behind Trigger.

“Bastard!” Trigger screamed. “You promised!”

“Idiot…” Powers said. There was a bright red flash for a moment. Powers turned around to find his men standing frozen. Mabel wanted to vomit as they fell apart like diced meat. To the sides of the men stood two black rectangles on moveable heads that retracted back in place.

“High powered lasers.” Gideon said. “Something else Dipper was working on. Trigger must have wanted to get the men bunched together, but didn’t expect his partner to go back on his word… this is why I never trust people.”

Agent Trigger lunged on Powers and wrestled him to the ground. The camera was knocked loose, and all Mabel could hear was grunting and an occasional punch. The sound of two rounds fired echoed in her ears and the struggling stopped. She held her breath as someone picked up the camera and put it back on.

“Agent Powers is down,” he said into the microphone, looking at his partner. Agent Power’s eyes were opened and unfocused. Mabel could see the holes in the center of his chest. He wasn’t moving. Agent Trigger fumbled around Power’s pockets, looking for something when another gunshot rang out.

The camera rolled back and showed the sky and the clouds floating overhead.

“Agent Trigger!” Pacifica screamed. “Trigger answer me!”

They could hear the sounds of crunching snow slowly approach.

“Think that’s all of them.” Someone said. “That was a good shot Mr. Northwest.”

“Thanks, Poolcheck. Wendy, you ready?” Preston said. Mr. Northwests’ face came into view of the camera. He looked down, tapped it and grinned. Wendy came into view gripping Billeah’s arms. Preston picked up the camera and pointed it to his face.

“Now… I can venture a guess who’s watching all this. How’s my little pumpkin? Finally got your hands bloody? Now you’re like the rest of us.” Preston gloated. The camera spun around to face ahead and moved to the tunnel.

“I’ll bring you along, so you can see me choke the life out of your husband. With him gone, your strings to Bill will be severed, then you and my grandchildren will come back and live with me where you belong. You will know your place.” Preston said, his voice dripping with disdain.

Mabel watched as Pacifica held both hands over her mouth, trying to muffle her sobs.

“I hate you, Daddy…” she whispered.

“You hear me Dipper? We’re coming for you… there’s nowhere to go from here!” Preston shouted down the tunnel. The feed from Preston’s newly acquired camera showed twelve mercenaries slide down the tunnel, followed by Poolcheck, Wendy, Billeah, and Buddy.

“Dad’s with them…” Gideon said. Mabel nodded and gave his hand a squeeze. She pulled him closer as they watched the next events unfold. 


	16. Catastrophe

_**October 11, 2035** _

Mabel watched the feed of Preston and his team slide down the icy tunnel.

“Mabel… whatever we see here, we need to be strong.” Gideon said. He gave her hand a squeeze. She nodded, not feeling assured of the situation. She knew it was bad… real bad. But, it was going to turn out alright… right? Dipper pulled some amazing rabbits out of his hat. He’s like Batman… he’s always prepared and never without a plan.

Mabel focused on Dipper’s feed.

“There has to be a way in!” Dipper shouted. “Damnit! They’re almost here!”

“I… I think I may have found it!” Blendin shouted. Everyone rushed to him. He pointed to a tiny hole in the center of a glyph. “This… looks like the symbol on the Great Time Baby’s forehead… as far as the key goes…”

Dipper grabbed the time-tape out of Blendin’s hand and closed his eyes.

“Hey!” Blendin exclaimed. Dipper held up a finger to stop his protest. Blendin’s wrist screeched an alarm and a silver key dropped out of nowhere. Dipper handed the time-tape back to Blendin and picked it up. Blendin looked down at the readings on his arm and gasped. “Dipper! The paradox you made is not going away! What did you do?”

“What I had to!” He snapped and shoved the rod into the keyhole. The wall slid away to reveal an entrance into the pyramid. “Hey Blendin… your suit anchor you to the timeline?”

“What… do you mean?” He asked.

“Say… we wake him up… or we fail… Your future is gone, well, your past is… then the events never happened and we never come here… ect.” Dipper asked. “You guys ever find out if there’s a multiverse?”

“I really don’t like the way your mind is headed… that’s not something I really want to try and find out.” Blendin said.

“Robbie, you and the team guard the entrance.” Dipper said. “Me and Blendin are going inside.”

Mabel watched Dipper’s feed as he entered the pyramid with Blendin. The footage grew garbled and cut out.

“What happened?” Mabel screamed. Fiddleford appeared and shrugged.

“Couldn’t get the signal from inside that weird thingermabobjit.” Fiddleford said.

Mabel focused on Robbie’s camera. He was behind the remaining agents who took positions around the edges of the pyramid. They opened fire and four of Preston’s men fell. Mabel’s camera focused on Preston's view. Dipper’s team had cover, leaving the advancing party in a stalemate. The time it would take to move into position would leave them all exposed.

“Poolcheck… hand me the device.” Preston said. Poolcheck stepped forward and gave him a briefcase. Preston opened it to review a smooth orb roughly two feet wide. As he held it infront of him, Mabel could see there was a visible pull from it. With a chuckle he let it go.

The orb sped from his fingers and launched into the miniature sun. The golden light it radiated wavered and pulsed to a dark red. The medicine ball sized nuclear reactor ballooned and bubbled. Solar flares lanced out as the gas burst, showering the men taking refuge behind the pyramid in superheated gas.

Preston took cover behind the wall of ice. Mabel couldn't see what happened, but she heard the deafening sound of an explosion.

The only footage left was Preston’s and Pacifica’s. Her sister in law’s sobs mirrored what Mabel felt as she watched all of this… helpless.

Preston looked back to the pyramid’s structure. The pyramid remained undamaged. Preston’s men moved forward. Guided by the sun’s rays that peeked through holes in the glacier the explosion created.

Preston motioned to Wendy. She dragged Billeah ahead of her, as they approached the pyramid. Preston looked over the charred bodies and fired a round into each one’s chest. He stood over Robbie’s burnt remains and kicked him.

“Ha… Your boyfriend looks extra cooked.” Preston said to Wendy. Mabel thought she saw a small pang of regret as she looked down at her ex, but pushed forward.

Preston waited in front of the entrance. He held his hands up to his mouth and shouted inside.

“How’s it look in there, Dipper?” He yelled.

“Do you know what you did?” Blendin screamed back.

“Cut off a baby from his bottle?” Preston retorted.

Dipper and Blendin exited the pyramid, arms overhead.

“He’s dead now…” Dipper said, his tone icy as the glacier surrounding them. “you got what you wanted.”

“Of course I did… you think all of your little efforts can stop me? I’m a Northwest! I destroy everything that gets in my way!” he gloated.

“How’d you wake her?” Dipper asked, and nodded to Billeah.

“Oh… our mutual friend woke her up. She’s the only one who knew where the big baby was… so, we made a deal.” He said.

“For what?” Dipper asked.

“Dipper…” Blendin whispered and pointed to his wristband. “The paradox… it’s closing in on us!”

“Oh…. will you be erased for history? Will this all never happen?” Preston chuckled. “Well, I have it on good authority we’ll be fine…”

“It’s almost here!” Blendin stammered and closed his eyes. “Oh god…”

Preson’s view focused on Dipper who stared him down and nodded.

Wendy let out a scream and Preston turned his head to look at her. The charred corpse of Robbie had torn her throat open with his mouth and pulled her down. Billeah immediately ran to Dipper’s outstretched arms while Blendin pulled out his time-tape.

Preston fired off two shots. One shattering the time-tape in his hand, the other piercing the center of Blendin’s chest.

“Didn’t think I wasn’t ready for some stupid stunt like that?” He chuckled. Dipper knelt down and sat Blendin up. Mabel switched to Dipper’s camera.

“I… I’m sorry…” He stammered.

“You’re fine… Just go, we’ll be alright.” Dipper said. Blendin's face was losing all its color.

“The paradox… no time…” He choked out and rested his hand on Dipper’s chest. Mabel switched back to Preston’s view. Dipper was holding onto Billeah and Blendin’s limp arm fell… holding a ring attached to a string. Dipper looked up, shocked as he saw Blendin had attached his time travel ripcord to Dipper.

“What is that?!” Preston shouted and fired at Dipper. “What is that?!”

Dipper and Billeah’s flashed, warbled, and winked out. She’s never seen the time traveler disappear like that. Could it have something to do with the paradox Blendin was going on about?

“Oh my god…” Mabel stammered. Her tear soaked face looked to Gideon “What did he do?”

“DIPPER!” Pacifica screamed and slammed on the desk with both hands. “NO!”

Pacifica fell to the floor and could barely keep herself on her knees. With great effort, she crawled to the terminal and slammed the keyboard.

“I’LL KILL YOU ALL!” She sobbed. Her face twisted in rage and hate.. She pressed the keyboard over and over.

“Fiddleford, what did she do?” Gideon asked.

“She destabilized the satellite's orbit… it’s set to fall right on them.” Fiddleford said.

“Sweety… your Dipper’s gone… There’s no future for him to leap forward to, I’ve seen to that. He just wiped himself and his little blond love toy out of existence.” Preston cooed into the microphone.

“Mr. Northwest…” Poolcheck said, and pointed to Robbie. He was sitting with Wendy’s lifeless body on his lap… stroking her hair.

“I”m so sorry Wendy…” he whispered through his charred lips. “We can be together now… you and me, like old times. Just come back to me.”

“Leave them.” Preston said. “I do have a heart, and wouldn’t dare get in the way of zombie love.”

Buddy and Poolcheck chuckled and walked forward to the temple after Preston. He looked around as if expecting something to happen.

“Are you ready to come home to daddy?” Preston whispered into the microphone.

Pacifica was on the floor clutching her belly, tears pooling on the floor. Mabel was done trying to hold back her tears and was sobbing just as hard. Her mind reeling from the fact this was all over and there was no way she could stop it.

Preston pulled out a tiny bell and held it in front of the camera and began to ring it.

Pacifica’s face twisted in pain, and her eyes shot open in sudden realization. She continued to hold her belly and rocked back and forth.

“Fiddleford… oh god… oh god… I’m not ready… I don’t want to go… my babies… my Dipper… Help me!” she sobbed.

The locker opened up behind her.

“Get inside!” Fiddleford pointed. “Hurry!”

Mabel watched through tear filled eyes as Pacifica dragged herself across the floor. Her determined eyes focused on the back locker Fiddleford opened up. Each pull seemed like an eternity, all while Preston rang the bell. Pacifica somehow got on her feet and stumbled inside and the locker door slammed shut.

“What happened to her?” Mabel screamed. “Will she be ok?”

“She’s suspended… but…” Fiddleford looked away. “We can’t stop what’s happening. She found out a week ago she has an abdominal aortic aneurysm… and the stress of all this just ruptured it.”

“We can get her to a hospital… she’s in stasis, they can operate!” Mabel pleaded. Fiddleford shook his head no.

“Fiddleford… Don’t let me out till Dipper comes back. He… He always does.” Pacifica’s voice echoed through the speakers. “I… I need to say goodbye to him… I can’t… I can’t leave him without seeing him one more time.”

“NO!” Mabel screamed. “NO!”

Mabel ran to the frozen Pacifica, ready to yank her out of the locker, only to have the door slide shut. Mabel screamed and pounded on the door with her fists.

“YOU OPEN THIS UP RIGHT NOW!” Mabel screamed. “WE HAVE TO HELP HER!”

“I need to follow her orders…” Fiddleford bemoaned. “Won’t do any good. My scans show it’s bleeding out pretty bad. Maybe in time we’ll be able to fix it, but right now… letting her out is a death sentence.”

“Mabel… come here.” Gideon said. Mabel ran over and pulled up Preston’s view. The Pyramid was shaking.

The massive structure levitated and pulled itself out of the ground. To her surprise, it wasn’t a pyramid at all, but a massive cube, turned on its side and half buried. A circular opening appeared under the floating behemoth.  The lifeless corpse of the Great Time Baby slid down and crashed into the snow covered ground.

“ALL STRINGS ARE SEVERED!” emitted a massive voice from the cube. The runes flashed in time with the speech. “I AM FULLY REALIZED IN THIS WORLD AND SHALL RE-FORM THE CHAOS INTO ORDER! SUBMIT OR BE DESTROYED!”

The cube landed and a doorway opened. Preston threw down the camera. It landed sideways. The angle allowed Mabel to see Preston, Poolcheck, Buddy and the remaining commandos enter the structure.

The giant floating cube rose up and crashed through the canopy of ice, raining down massive blocks across the thirty five million year old sanctuary.  The cube glowed and sped off into parts unseen.

“I think I hear something…” Gideon said. “Turn up the volume on that camera”

“Uhhh….” Someone said. Mabel thought it sounded like Wendy.

“Hey… you’re awake.”

“You… You jerk! You bit me!”

“Sorry… I’m so sorry. I had to help Dipper.”

‘Yeah… I know. So what, I’m a zombie now?”

“Yeah… and we’re kinda stuck in Antarctica but I’m sure we can find our way back… it’s not like we’re going to die.”

“Haha… before we go, let's just take a break and rest here ok?”

“Sure thing… I wish I had my guitar. I wrote you a song a long time ago, but never got around to playing it for you. I wish I wasn’t such a jerk about you and Dipper.”

“That’s in the past… why don’t you sing it to me?”

“Ok…

_Wendy when I look in your eyes, the day turns brighter_

_Wendy when you smile at me my heart gets lighter._

_Baby, I know my words can’t say how I feel_

_Does this mean what I feel is real_

_I can’t stand to be without you_

_And I hope that you feel it too._

There’s a guitar solo here, and then some drums.”

“You’re such a dork.”

“What’s that up there?”

“I dunno… it’s too big to be the sun.”

“We should go, Wends…”

“I want to… but I can’t move my legs.”

“Yeah... me either. I think the fire burned through my warm clothes. That hole in the roof blowing wind and snow on us isn’t helping matters… Dipper said the snow and Zombies don’t make good matches.”

“HA! Yeah, we would talk about that all the time… how to escape, we’d run to Canada and freeze the zombies out.”

“It’s getting bigger.”

“I know… I don't think we’ll be making it back.”

“I don’t think so either.”

“Just hold me… I know I messed up. I left Lee with the kids and I made so many mistakes.”

“We all did…”

 

The camera footage was garbled with static and cut out all feeds except the one inside Dipper’s secret room.

Mabel sat in silence, staring at the black monitor. She closed her eyes to take it all in. It was too much. She had just escaped insanity only to have it thrust upon her tenfold. She couldn’t stop shaking. She felt arms wrap around her, and allowed herself to be pulled onto Gideon’s chest.

“I know… It’s a lot to take in… Just, let’s go upstairs and not talk about it ‘til you’re ready.”

Mabel nodded and allowed herself to be lead out of the room and back to the Shack.

**********

Mabel woke up screaming. She couldn’t remember where she was, only the nightmarish images that assaulted her subconscious. She looked around and saw she was in her old bed in the Mystery Shack’s attic. Gideon sat up and rushed to her side. Was he sleeping in Dipper’s bed?

“You ok, hon?” He asked, rubbing her back. “Let me get you some water.”  

Gideon rushed out of the room. She could hear his loud steps run down the stairs and into the kitchen. His return was more muffled and he burst into the room with a tall glass of ice water.

“Yeah… I’m okay.” She said more to herself than to Gideon. “We… We need to go over what happened and what we do next.”

“What to do next? Rick has materialized into the real world! There is no next! We keep our heads down and try not to get noticed and killed!” Gideon retorted.

Mabel shook her head no.

“Dipper’s still alive… I have to believe that. If I don’t, then… then I might as well just kill myself because I have nothing left to live for.” Mabel said.

Gideon looked like he was going to say something, but changed his mind.

“You’re right… He’s still alive and he’ll be able to fix all of this.” Gideon said. Mabel knew he was placating her, but she appreciated the effort. “Well, you’re the leader. What do we do?”

“The journals…” Mabel said to herself. “Dipper always goes to them for answers, maybe we can do the same?”

“Preston has them.” Gideon countered.

“Yes, but we have copies… and even more scanned into Fiddleford.” Mabel said.

“So… what are we looking for?” Gideon asked.

“The portal… if there’s any way to get Dipper back from whatever limbo he’s stuck in… we’ll need to rebuild the portal.”

“That took your uncle thirty years to do!” Gideon shouted.

Mabel grinned.

“We have time.”

**********

Dipper woke up covered in garbage. He heard a soft moan beside him.

“Billeah!” Dipper sat up and rushed to her side. Blinking red neon bombarded his vision. Dipper gathered up his cousin and stumbled out of the alley and onto the sidewalk. His breath was taken away with what he saw.

Massive cubes floated everywhere. There were no billboards or advertising. All the buildings were cookie cutter size and shaped with no discernible way to tell what any of them did. Everyone walked single file and with purpose. The cars… or what he assumed were cars, hovered over roads that seemed to be plastic with LED lights indicating lanes.

There was flashing under his feet and an arrow pointing behind him. Dipper turned around to the alley he arrived in and took a step back, the arrow followed him. Dipper followed the arrow through various alleyways and to a street corner where a car waited for him with no driver. As he approached, the door opened and he quickly got in.

“Welcome back…” said a familiar voice.

“Fiddleford?” Dipper asked. “How? When?”

“It’s been 60 years… I figured the paradox Blendin was blabbing about shakered your thinger and instead of shooting you a thousand years ahead to his time… send you a short hop instead.”

“So, you can get me back?” Dipper asked. The car drove off down the road and onto the freeway.

“No… we can’t do that. I’m afraid the tear you made in space/time alerted someone to your arrival. We haven’t much time.” the voice said from the speakers.

“Where are we going?” Dipper asked.

“To see your sister, she’s been very patient.”


	17. Coming Home

**_January 4, 2095_ **

Dipper woke up with a snort. The car he was in was still driving. His legs cramped and his back was stiff. Billeah lay on his chest, her golden hair sprawled across his face as she snored. He was exhausted from the time jump, and didn’t say much to his cousin since their escape from that strange cubed city.

“How long till we get there?” Dipper asked.

“Few more hours…” the voice on the computer said.

“So… you’re going to have to catch me up on things.” Dipper said with a yawn.

“Nope...” replied the voice.

“Nope?” Dipper repeated. “Why not?”

“Not really a good place to talk about things.” Fiddleford said. The strange box car sped down the highway, Dipper looking out the window in silence, stunned at the world around him. Everything was in order. The landscape was formed into cubes, the trees grew in rows, there was a rather to everything. The bird’s flapped their wings in time with each other.

They passed a row of square two story houses and Dipper witnessed the children playing in the yard. Each child had a ball and would bounce it in time with each other. After four bounces, they would shoot it and make a basket. One boy missed, and all stared at him, silently shaming him while he took another shot and made it. 

“Where are we?” Billeah said rubbing her eyes. She looked around the car and to the buildings and people outside. “What? He… he did it. He really did it.”

Dipper held her close and shushed her.

“Billeah, it’s going to be all right.” He said, stroking her hair.

“I… I failed all of you. I was this world’s protector. I didn’t want this for you. I wanted you to grow and thrive without anyone interfering.” Billeah said softly.

“Talk to me Bill…” Dipper said. “How? What happened?”

“I… I made a deal with Rick.” She whispered. Billeah looked at her tiny frail hands and clasp them to her chest. “I… I failed. I gave in. I gave myself up and now this is all that’s left. Rick has severed my over-mind. Even if you were to try and make a contract with me, it won’t work. I’m… I’m human. I’m going to grow old and die with the humans I loved for generations, but I’m with you, so that’s okay.”

Dipper’s mind reeled with the revelation. He was banking on using his contract work-around to go back and stop him. With the time-tape destroyed and Billeah’s powers gone… was there really no hope?

“Billeah,” Dipper asked, he pulled her against him and wrapped his arms around her. She closed her eyes and sighed, reveling in his embrace. “What was the exact contract?”

“I’m fully human… the over-mind of Bill is gone.” Billeah said. “It’s… I can’t explain, the higher connection I fought so hard to control is cut.”

“So… it’s not gone, just severed from you?” Dipper asked. Rick was a devious one.

“Yes? No? I don’t know.” Billeah said.

“I don’t think Rick can kill Bill. Trap him, yes; he was terrified of the idea of killing one of his own kind.” Dipper said more to himself.

“Dipper… do you still love me?” Billeah whispered. “I’m… no longer useful. I’m just me now. I understand if you throw me away. I failed you in so many ways. Now, I can’t do anything. I’m normal and will grow old… die… and my brief time in this world will only be a tiny bubble popping, giving someone brief happiness only to move on to the next thing.”

Dipper pulled her closer to him and held her face to his chest.

“When we first started this… I hated you so much.” Dipper whispered. “But I grew to respect and appreciate you. Even without your powers, I love you. We’re going to see Mabel and Pacifica now… and probably my son and daughter… and their kids. We’ll be a family again.”

“How long has it been?” Billeah whimpered. “How long did we go away?”

“Roughly sixty years.” Dipper said. Billeah’s eyes reflected her thought process. Her lip quivered and she buried her head in Dipper’s chest, letting out a muffled cry. Dipper held her and stroked her hair as the road down the street in silence.

**********

Dipper’s heart sank as they drove past the sign welcoming them to Gravity Falls. This town was not spared the restructuring of Rick, and all the familiar shops, houses and streets were changed to meet the new world order.

Overlooking the town was Northwest Manor. He was sure Preston was still surveying his kingdom from on high. He hoped that after all these years; he took care of Pacifica and his children. Preston may have been evil, but he still loved his daughter. Was she even alive? Dipper’s mind prepared himself for the worst. Mabel will be in her 90’s, his children will be in their 60’s and his grandchildren would have kids.

Dipper smiled at the thought of meeting his great grandkids… or Mabel’s Grandkids! He’d be Grunkle Dip.

“What are you smiling about?” Billeah asked, looking up from his lap.

“Just… thinking if I’m a Grunkle.” Dipper said with a chuckle.

To Dipper’s surprise, the car turned off the road onto a familiar dirt path. It was overgrown and unkempt. To Dipper’s amazement, the Mystery Shack burst into view in all its majestic glory. It looked like the ravages of time skipped it over. The giant ‘S” was still toppled over, the signature totem pole stool in all its painted glory, and the trees seemed to almost welcome his return.

“Billeah…” Dipper whispered. She sat up and looked out the window. Sitting on the porch was an old woman with grey and brown hair wearing a pink knit sweater with a shooting star. She was rocking in a rocking chair with a black cat on her lap who lazily batted at the yard her experienced fingers absentmindedly worked.

The old woman looked up at the car and waved with his sister’s ear to ear grin. Dipper got out of the car with Billeah following behind him.

“Well… you sure took your time.” She said and spryly got up out of the chair and ran to dipper’s open arms “My Dippingsauce!”

“Hey Mabes…” Dipper whispered. He held back the tears feeling his twin’s frail form in his arm. She grabbed hold of him and squeezed. She let go and knelt down in front of Billeah.

Billeah’s face contorted as she touched Mabel’s wrinkled cheek. Mabel hugged her, letting Billeah wail on her shoulder.

“Don’t you cry…” Mabel said and rocked her back and forth. “You both came back in time for me to see you again… that’s all I’ve prayed about.”

“Grant Mabel?” Said a young voice from inside the shack. “Who’s that?”

Dipper looked up to see a young boy about twelve years old with his nose in a book, shock blond hair and brown eyes peered up at him. His heart jumped as a girl sat next to him with an air of superiority, her hair was long and blond, but with his brown eyes. She stayed slent and itched her forehead

Dipper about fainted… She had his birthmark, they both did!

“Mabes…” Dipper whispered.

“We’ll talk about them in time.” She said. “First let’s get you some food and drinks”

Dipper nodded and helped his sister into the shack. It looks almost exactly the same as he remembered.

“The shack is still opened?” Dipper asked.

“We get a few visitors, but we keep to ourselves… it didn’t seem right to close it up. Your wild life preserve has kept this area from being converted. The Xarol foundation has been very adamant at keeping this place a natural sanctuary.” Mabel said.

“That… doesn’t make sense. This should have been the first place to go.” Dipper said. Mabel shrugged and poured Dipper a glass of Mabel juice.

“Grant Mabel!” the young girl said “Can we do something? We’re bored.”

“Why don’t you and your sister go through my scrap books? You can see what your Grant did when she was your age and spending summers here with her Grunkle!” Mabel smiled.

“Uhhhggg.” The boy said rolling his eyes. The girl grabbed his hand and led him outside.

“They’re…” Dipper said with a grin.

“A handful… yes.”

“They are… my great-grand kids?” Dipper said in astonishment. Mabel’s grinning face faltered.

“We… have a lot to talk about. First, tell me what happened back then. Gideon broke me out of the mental hospital and we saw the tapes of your fight with Rick. What happened inside the pyramid?” Mabel said.

Dipper sat back and sighed.

“So… Blendin and I went into the pyramid…

**********

“This place is strange… I’ve got a bad feeling about it.” Blendin said with his signature stutter.

“Calm down. There’s only one hallway so far. The place is not that big.” Dipper said. Their trek seemed to take longer than he expected. The pyramid was only a good hundred feet; they should be on the other side by now.

The hallway opened up to a brightly lit room. The grey walls of the pyramid were covered in glyphs that seemed to move when you focus on them. In the center was the great time baby floating in the fetal position

“What do we do?” Blendin asked. Dipper shrugged. He moved closer to the massive inter-dimensional being. There was a beam of light that snaked form the ceiling and connected to the stomach of The Great Time Baby.  Was that sun above the pyramid feeding him? Dipper’s impatience got the better of him. He checked his pockets and found a can of tuna in his field rations and grinned to Blendin.

“What are you…” was all he said when Dipper chucked the can of Tuna and smacked the GTB in-between its eyes. “ARE YOU INSTANE!”

Dipper found another can of rations and threw it.

“STOP!” Blendin screeched. “You don’t throw cans of tuna at a sleeping baby!”

The massive form moved and stretched it’s great hands. The omega symbol glowed as it slowly opened its eyes.

“Is it time?” He said, his voice echoing through the hall.

“Oh great master…” Blendin said and fell to his knees.

“We don’t have time for that!” Dipper snapped. “Great Time Baby, we need your help defeating Rick Imperius. He’s almost reformed into this world, and Bill is unable to keep him out.”

“Dipper?” GTB said, rubbing his eyes. “Dipper… it’s too early to wake me up… come back in a thousand years.”

“No! They’re coming to kill you!” Dipper snapped. “Look around! Everything is different! You’re like Bill, you live outside of time! You see all the variations and look at the one you’re in now!”

The massive baby’s eyes glowed briefly when the golden cord dissipated. The pyramid shook from the force of a massive explosion. The levitating child fell to the floor, gasping for air.

“What… What have they done?” He stammered and choked. “Dipper! Come close! I… I need to give you this.”

Dipper moved forward and a massive hand opened up to reveal an ice crystal. When Dipper picked it up, his mind was instantly bombarded with images.

Bill and GTB fighting Rick through the void of space. The battle lasted for eons. The uneasy alliance wished to keep this universe their own personal playground.

Rick got the upper hand in their battle and absorbed GTB inside himself, trapping him. Bill created his seal and banished Rick’s over-mind to another plane of existence, causing his physical form to crash into Antarctica.

Bill created a miniature sun above the crashed carcass to feed GTB and keep him sustained and allowing him to force Rick to a stalemate. With the universe destroyed by Dipper, Rick was cast adrift and able to join with his physical form until Dipper re-made the universe; this put him back into our world, still trapped, but able to influence those around him.

With each totem destroyed, the more powerful Rick became.

Dipper’s mind was flooded with variables and possibilities he could barely focus his thoughts as he was overcome by the ocean of time. The ripples, eddies, and currents that made up the multiverse in which he lived in.

“Dipper!” Blendin whispered. “Dipper wake up!”

Dipper’s dropped the ice crystal and he withdrew back into himself. He looked around and was lying on his back, the physical form of the Great Time Baby now staring lifelessly at him. Dipper reached into a pouch and withdrew a plastic bag and put the ice crystal inside. Securing it away he followed Blendin down the hall and out into the light.

**********

“So… that ice crystal is what?” Mabel asked.

“Some kind of totem that connects me to GTB’s over-mind I think… or maybe Bill’s?” Dipper shrugged.

“Why not let Billeah use it?” Mabel suggested. “Then we might have a chance at figuring this out.”

Billeah shook her head no.

“Rick made her fully human… She is no longer attached to the Bill over-mind.” Dipper said. “I don’t think she’d be able to handle the crystal.”

“Pitty… We’ll have to change our plans then.” Mabel said with a chuckle. Dipper took a drink of his Mabel juice and looked around.

“I think you need to let me in on what happened the last 60 years.” Dipper said.

“Not much to tell. Rick controls almost everything. He’s rather partial to government control, and likes to let the bureaucrats run mostly everything. I’m sure that’s why the forest was spared. It’s a building oversight and construction around here is so wrapped up in red tape, it’s going to be another hundred years before they can do anything with this land.” Mabel said with a grin. “Our mutual friend made sure to really gum up the machine.”

Dipper held his sister’s hand and saw a wedding ring. He rubbed it between his fingers and silently asked her about it. She grinned, walked out of the room and came back in.

“I know… I know…” Mabel said and slid the album over to him. The cover read ‘Wedding of Larry and Linda Laugher.’

Dipper let out a huge laugh to see Gideon in a tuxedo, grinning like an idiot. He stood a good foot shorter than his bride who was beaming ear to ear.

“So… how’d that happen?” Dipper said with a cringe.

“Persistence… lots and lots of persistence.” Mabel chuckled. “After you disappeared, Gideon really stepped up and took your place. He understood I didn’t want anything to do with him in that way for a long time, but he stuck around and made sure I was ok. He really helped me through hard times and we became close, once he dropped that spoiled brat attitude of his.”

“Where is he?” Dipper asked, looking around. Mabel shook her head no.

“We… he passed a few years ago.” Mabel said. “You want to get settled in before we go any further talking?”

“I… I just want to get caught up. I want to know what happened to Pacifica, she move back with her dad after I was gone? Did she re-marry?” Dipper asked, his heart wrenched at the thought.

“I… I think you better rest; you’ve had a long trip.” Mabel said and fidgeted with her plate of cookies.

“Mabel… tell me, please?” Dipper asked.

“I better just show you.” She said defeated. Dipper followed her to the vending machine. She punched in the code and led them downstairs to Dipper’s secondary lab.

“What?” Dipper said, his jaw fell opened as he took in the sight. Just like when he was a child, the portal stood re-built in all its glory. “What have you done?”

“Fiddleford helped us re-build it. Rick said you were lost in time and space since your time Rip-cord wouldn’t take you to Blendin’s future. I figured if anything could get you back… this would be it.”

“Does it work?” Dipper asked. Mabel shook her head no.

“We’re missing a piece. Fiddleford upgraded the specs and we need to get our hands a circuit board that’s only manufactured by one company… Cubed Consolidated. It’s not for sale, but used for military grade systems. That’s… That’s how Gideon died. He tried to steal one at his age, and… he never made it back.”

“So… what’s this have to do with Pacifica?” Dipper asked.

“Sit down.” Mabel said, and pointed to a chair. Dipper did as he was told and Mabel pulled up the video feeds of the Antarctica incident. Dipper watched in stunned silence. Billeah held his hand and squeezed. He looked up at her; she was quivering like a leaf.

“They all died because of me…” she whispered.

Dipper watched closely the events that took place after he jumped through time. He tried to control his breathing watching Preston torment his own daughter. His heart broke seeing her crawl helplessly to the locker, and her last words to Fiddleford as she was slowly encased in the peanut brittle.

“So… she’s alive, and ok?” Dipper said hopefully. Mabel shook her head no. She pointed behind Dipper. He turned to see Pacifica still frozen in peanut brittle inside the locker she crawled to sixty years ago.

“Why haven’t you fixed her yet?” Dipper said softly, he can feel his rage bubbling under the surface of his skin, ready to explode. “Fiddleford, what was wrong?”

“She’s suffering from an aneurysm and is bleeding out from the inside. There’s too much blood loss. There’s nothing I can do.” Fiddleford said softly.

“Nanobots… where are the nanobots? What’s wrong with the medicine this day and age?” Dipper said, he was trying to keep his voice calm and steady, but his hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

“Dipper… Rick’s world view is all about control. He doesn’t believe in expanding human life. The medical advances had ground to a halt. All our healthcare is controlled by literal death panels. Rick wants there to be a set number of humans alive at once time. If you get sick and it’s going to cost more than you’re worth alive, well you better hope you get better on your own.” Mabel said.

“Ok… what about those kids upstairs.” Dipper asked.

“They’re yours… technically.” Mabel said. She looked away and seemed really uncomfortable at the moment.

“Mabel… what did you do?” Dipper asked. Mabel grinned ear to ear.

“Well… we were working on ways to fix Pacifica… Fiddleford developed on the copy machine program and we developed an honest to goodness cloning machine. We were able to get the DNA from your babies and grow them in a test tube. We thought about doing that with Pacifica… but she wouldn’t have any of her memories and stuff.” Mabel said proudly.

“You… cloned my unborn children?” Dipper said in astonishment. “That… That doesn’t save them! You realize this right? They’re still going to die when Pacifica is broken free of her shell! How could you be so insensitive?”

“Dipper… Gideon and I tried for many years to have children. I know you were going to tell me how wrong it was, but they needed a chance to live… even if they are copies. They are smart, and wonderful and inquisitive. We keep them safe, and they only visit for the summers.” Mabel said.

“Safe? With who?” Dipper asked.

“Harmony Ramirez; Soos’s granddaughter adopted them.” Mable said. “DJ and Dharma live in Portland. All they know is their parents died in a car accident… and know that I’m too crazy to take care of them full time.” 

Dipper closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Where… did you hear those names?” Dipper said calmly.

“I… I found Pacifica’s diary… She’d talked about it near her last entry.” Mabel said, holding herself.

“Dipper?” Fiddleford popped up on the screen.

“What?” Dipper snapped.

“Pacifica wanted me to release her when you come back… Shall I start the process?” He asked.

“Wait! No! We’ve got to figure something out.” Dipper said franticly. “I… this is too much to take in all at once…”

“Fiddleford, don’t do anything with Pacifcia. Dipper needs to go upstairs and rest.” Mabel said and pulled her brother out of the chair. “Come on Billeah, you too.”

The three of them made their way to the gift shop. Mabel took them back to the spare bedroom downstairs where the body switching carpet used to be and made up their bed.

“You two get some sleep; I’ll come get you for dinner.” She said and closed the door. Dipper fell into the dusty bed and stared up at the ceiling. Billeah crawled in next to him.

“I’m… so sorry.” She whispered. Dipper wordlessly fumbled in his pockets and pulled out the ice crystal. “What are you doing?”

“I need to figure this out.” Dipper said and reached his hand inside. His body went limp as his mind was yanked across the currents of space/time


	18. Goodbyes

**_January 5, 2095_ **

Dipper sat in his kitchen and ate cereal. Sitting in front of him were two children who said nothing, but stared at him as he took each bite. He smiled to himself at how much they looked like their mother. His son seemed to have his old introverted personality, and tended to let his sister lead in things. His daughter… well, her attitude was spot on for her mother.   

“You chew loud.” DJ said, more of an observation than a complaint.

“You should take smaller bites, you’ll choke and die.” Dharma said matter-of-factly. The twins looked at each other with their unspoken language. He could almost hear the concepts exchanged between them the way Mabel and he would do when they were younger.

“I’ve lived long enough to know how to eat cereal without dying.” Dipper chuckled, and scooped a huge mountain of Cheerio’s into his gaping maw. He smiled and crunched even louder, much to the disapproval of the two staring children.

“Morning!” Mabel said from behind him and slapped his back. A startled Dipper inhaled a few pieces and began to choke. His sister patted him on the back to help clear up the clog. Dipper crouched over to take a few deep breaths, feeling the oxygen return to his brain.

“Told you…” Dharma said with a smug grin.

“She did.” DJ deadpanned and opened his book. Dipper cocked an eyebrow at the massive tome DJ’s nose was in. It looked like a field biology text.

“You two stop trying to freak him out…” Mabel said with a laugh. This morning, Dipper noticed she seemed to walk more like her age. It took a minute to sit down and she had to catch her breath. She seemed to read Dipper’s face and smiled. Even after all these years from his sister’s perspective, a single glance can convey so many words.

“It’s the morning time. It takes a while for me to get a kick start on things.” Mabel chuckled.

“What’cha reading there?” Dipper said with a mouth full of cereal. He used his spoon to point to the book DJ was reading.

“Since we’ve been coming here most summers, I decided it’s best to learn more about the local fauna.” DJ mumbled from behind his tome.

“That’s very industrious. This place has a plethora of creatures to study. Are you interested in botany or biology?” Dipper asked. The twins looked at each other, and then to Mabel.

“Are you going to tell us who your friend is?” Dharma said with a cool and even tone. DJ seemed to hide behind his book even more. “You’ve been more cryptic than normal.”

Dipper had to admit, his daughter was blunt and to the point.

“This is…” Mabel began, but seemed to be at a loss for words. She pleadingly looked at Dipper for help. He knew this would come up soon, and he himself didn’t know what to expect.

“DJ… just tell them.” Dharma said. DJ looked at his sister and seemed to have another silent conversation between them with just a glance. They both sighed and sat down. Their mannerism like parents about to talk to their children about the birds and the bees.  

“We know he’s our dad.” DJ stated. “It’s… kind of obvious.”

Dharma nodded, and her wall seemed to lesson as she looked into his eyes. She looked so much like her mother.

“Oh?” Mabel chuckled and took a seat next to her brother. “And how did you come to this conclusion?”

They both pulled their hair up to show the Big Dipper birthmark.

“He keeps staring at us, and you two act like we do with your silent twin speak. We haven’t figured out why you’re so different in ages, but we assume it’s some sort of cryogenic-stasis thing.” DJ said. His sister picked up the explanation.

“The accident that killed our parents… We think you had them frozen until you could fix them up. Dad’s injuries were less severe, so he’s thawed out first while the doctor works on Mom.” She said.

Dipper stared at them, his face was stone. He didn’t know what to say. To come to such a conclusion in less than a day was astounding.

“We want to see her!” they demanded in unison. He could see the pain and questions in their eyes. Dipper could tell that growing up with the Ramerez family and knowing that Mabel was their only connection to their past. They had a chance to discover who they were and achieve closure just on the horizon. And they were going to cling on to it and not let go.

Mabel’s hands covered her mouth, she looked like she was about to cry. The two children stared their elders down. They wore a look of determination reminiscent of the stare they used to give the Stans when they wanted something.   

“Dipper…” Mabel whispered. He held her hand assuredly. Dipper thought a lot about this since he’d discovered his cloned children. Ethical questions, theological questions, emotional and psychological questions. The one thing he always concluded was that they were children, no matter how they were made. They thought, felt, loved, and feared like his own children would and they deserved to be treated as such. They didn’t choose the lot they were given, but they owned it and didn’t ask for pity.

“Here comes a tough choice Mabes… secrets like Stan… or full disclosure?” Dipper asked. “You raised them, so it’s your call.”

“We both know what secrets can do… but the truth? Oh god Dipper, they’re children!” Mabel whispered.

“So were we.” Dipper said.

“But… we never should have been involved.” Mabel countered. The children looked at them patiently. DJ put his book away and held his sister’s hand. She squeezed it reassuringly and allowed the grown-ups to talk.

“They want to see their mother… We both know what is going to happen.” Dipper said. Mabel’s face seemed to shatter at what Dipper was saying and nodded. “I can’t…I can’t bear to leave her like that.”

“But…” Mabel whispered.

“They need closure, and so does she.” Dipper said defiantly.

**********

Pacifica felt like she was swimming to the surface of a lake and broke free. She gasped for air and couldn’t seem to get enough.

“Shh… it’s ok.” Dipper said to her. She looked around, confused and saw she was in the bedroom in the shack. It was dark, candle lit and with the door shut. They were alone. The stabbing pain in her stomach returned once again.

“Dipper! Oh god… Dipper!” Pacifica cried out, grasping at him. He held her hand and stroked her hair. His touch instantly reassured her she wasn’t imagining him. He was here! He was still alive!

“Shh… it’s ok. We gave you something for the pain, just breath and let it work.” He said soothingly. Her panic seemed to subside.

“Dipper… you’re ok? Your back?” Pacifica asked, her mind reliving the nightmare of watching her husband vanish with Billeah. Her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him to her. She kissed him over and over, never wanting to forget his taste. “How... how long?”

“Hey… don’t worry about that, I’m here and so are some people to see you.” Dipper said, caressing her cheek and kissing her forehead.

Pacifica could feel the painkillers kicking in, her arms were heavy and she couldn’t hold her head up.

“Who?” She asked.

“DJ and Dharma… they’re here and want to see you.” Dipper said.

“Our babies? I…” Pacifica felt her belly and could feel them still inside her. “How?”

“Mabel… my silly sister couldn’t stand the thought of losing her niece and nephew. She cloned them, to give them a chance at life.” Dipper whispered. The words sank in and Pacifica nodded, happy tears streaming down her cheeks. They lived… they have a chance at life! “They… want to see you.”

“They’re here?” She whispered. “This all seems like a dream.”

“It’s not… We’re a family, even if it’s for a little bit.” Dipper whispered. Pacifica squeezed his hand and nodded.

“So… you know then?” She said softly. “I… I didn’t want you to find out and shut me away. I was careful… but it didn’t seem to help.”

“I love you.” Dipper said, kissing her forehead. “That never changes. They all want to see you; Mabel, Billeah, DJ and Dharma.”

“Yes… I want to meet them before…” She couldn’t bring herself to say it. She knew she had so little time! She was terrified and wanted to scream and cry and beg for a miracle. Is that what everyone does near the end? She steeled her mind to focus on every precious moment she has. This time was a gift, something millions of people never get. A chance to say goodbye to the ones who love you.

“Come in!” Dipper whispered loudly. The door opened and an elderly woman in a pink sweater shuffled in with two children behind her. Billeah peaked in from the door frame. She smiled and beckoned her cousin-in-law to enter. “Pacifica, this is DJ and Dharma”

The children looked down at her, their expressions brave and stoic. The young man had his father’s eyes, and both had his birthmark. The girl’s blond hair was cut like hers when she was about that age, and DJ’s hair was a tangled mess like his father's. They both held hands and stared down at her, not saying a word.

“Come… come here, let me hold you!” Pacifica said. Wordlessly they climbed into the bed with her and she felt their embrace for the first and last time. She didn’t hold back her tears, and the children’s walls fell as they cried with her. They exchanged little words, but let their embrace speak for each other. She showed them how much she loved them, and they expressed their longing for her. They all cherished the moments together, and she knew it was an experience they would keep with them forever.

She felt so tired.

“Children… sit up. It’s time to go with your aunt. I’m very tired and need to rest. You both are more than I can imagine and always know I love you and will be with you always.” Pacifica whispered.

They nodded in unison and followed Mabel out of the room and they shut the door.

“We made them…” Pacifica said with a smile. “Our love made two beautiful children.”

“Yes, it did.” Dipper said and kissed her hand.

“Billeah… come here.” She said. Billeah inched forward, her face like a porcelain doll. Tears flowed from the corners of her eyes. Pacifica reached out her hand, Billeah took it and tried to quell her quivering lip.

“The things we last said to each other.” Pacifica said. Billeah nodded. “Forgive me?”

Billeah threw herself onto Pacifica and silently cried into her. She held her cousin and shushed her.

“You need to watch him now.” She whispered. “I’m trusting you.”

Billeah sat up and nodded. She sniffed back her tears and shuffled out the door, closing it and leaving her and Dipper alone.

“Hold me please. I’m so tired… so very tired.”

Dipper got in bed and held her to his chest. His arms wrapped around her like a blanket. She smelled his warm scent and felt safe, like she always had through the years. She could hear his heart beat in his chest; strong and sure. The heart she had faith would save them all. The heart that sheltered everyone from the storm around them. The heart of the man she loved.

Looking back, there were many regrets in life, but choosing him was never one. This was how she wanted it to happen, by his side and in his arms.

No more words were spoken… none were needed between them. They felt each other’s goodbyes and promises. Their love was deep and forged from the fires of triumph and defeat, the pain of loss and the joy of abundance. She remembered her vows the day they got married.

Till death do they part…

A part of her laughed at the words and how they surely are a lie. As long as Dipper’s heart beat, a part of her still lived.

Her eyes felt heavy and she drifted off to sleep, the last sound she heard was the strong rhythmic sound of Dipper’s heart.

**********

Dipper sat under a pine tree overlooking a field of tall grass. The book he was reading didn’t make sense as the words changed every time he glanced down. Setting the book down, he stared at the tall stalks swaying in the wind across the endless field.

Out of the grass poked a head. Dipper chuckled at the golden llama that looked at him. He beckoned it out of the grass and his heart leapt to see two tiny llamas following behind.

“Hey.” Dipper said. The golden llama laid next to him and rested her head on his lap. He absentmindedly stroked her hair and watched the two baby llamas play in the grass and chase butterflies. They each trotted up to him and licked his cheeks. He patted their fur and scratched them behind the ears.

He felt nothing but love for them and never wanted to leave from this spot.

The golden llama sat up and rolled to her feet. She bleated out a call to the children, and they fell in line behind her. She looked back one last time at Dipper before wading into the tall grass, and disappeared.

**********

Dipper looked at the headstone next to his parents, Stan, Stanford, and Gideon. It was old and weathered, but in good repair. His wife’s name was engraved and her birth and death date already fading to the elements.

“We had it made when she brittled herself.” Mabel explained. “No one really knew when you’d come back, so we had to do say something about her disappearance.”

Dipper nodded. He felt a strange coldness growing inside him. Lying to rest one of the last few people he ever loved, he felt vulnerable.

“Even though we only met her for a moment… I’m glad we got to say goodbye.” Dharma said. She took Dipper’s hand and fell to his side. DJ flanked him and took his other hand, but stayed silent.

“We had so many plans for you two. She would have been a wonderful mother.” Dipper said. “She wanted to do the whole soccer mom thing. I told her she was crazy, and that was out of her character, but she insisted and read all the books.”

“We have you now.” DJ said softly. “We would play a game at home, and make up stories about you and mom. We never really felt like you were gone. People say that’s what all orphan kids do, but we never listened to them.”

“I just wish she were here instead.” Dipper whispered. “She would be so much better for you than me.”

“Well she’s not.” Dharma snapped. “So, you’re our dad now, and you’re going to step up.”

“You have lots to tell us about you and mom.” DJ said. “We want to know everything.”

Dipper nodded. He knelt down to their level and pulled them in for a hug. His heart melted feeling their arms embrace him as strongly as he held them.

“I promise you, things are going to change around here.” Dipper said.

**********

Dipper got out of the automated car as it parked in front of the gates of Northwest Manor. As he strode up to the barrier, the gates opened for him. No alarms sounded as he walked up the path and to the front door. Dipper heard the mechanical door unlatch as he reached his hand out to it and strode inside.

“Hey!” Someone shouted as Dipper entered the residence. Two guards with Tasers rushed Dipper. He quickly had them on the floor with the Tasers turned on them, and waltzed up the stairs to the second floor.

One more guard attempted to stop him, and was quickly dispatched by the time he reached the door to his old office. He opened the door to find Preston Northwest on the phone, looking slightly panicked.

“What the hell?” He stammered, looking at Dipper like he saw a ghost.

“I would have scheduled a meeting, but I know how busy you are.” Dipper said and drew a sidearm, training the gun on Preston’s chest. “Hang up the phone.”

“I thought you were dead!” Preston said as he rested the phone in the cradle. “I guess I was wrong. We found your time jump… but only recovered two charred bodies at the location. A ruse I take it?”

“Something like that.” Dipper said, Mabel and Fiddleford must have had something to do with that one. He’d ask them later.

“So, what? You going to just shoot me now? Seems rather outside your disposition.” Preston asked, and leaned back with his arms behind his head. He propped his feet up on his desk to show a lack of interest at his situation.

“I’ve come to talk to you about a few things.” Dipper said. “First, you and everyone in Rick’s circle are done… He will lose, and I have not given up on that. Turn back now. I say this only to you. I respected you growing up. You were like a father to me, but I will destroy you.”

“Ha! In your dreams.” Preston said.

“Have you even checked on Pacifica?” Dipper asked. The mention of his daughter seemed to strike a recognition with him. Has Rick’s influence blocked out the thought of his daughter this whole time?

“What do you mean? She’s fine, probably holed up somewhere waiting for you.” He chuckled. Dipper couldn’t believe what the statement implied. Preston seemed to have no sense of time. With Rick’s influence halting his aging, what other twisted machinations were implanted into his brain to rationalize not thinking about his daughter for over sixty years?

“Fiddleford…” Dipper whispered.

The computer screen came to life on Preston’s desk. The image of Pacifica sobbing uncontrollably as her father taunted her echoed in all the speakers.

“What’s this?” He stammered. The half glazed look that filled his eyes sharpened, his stone face seemed to crumble at the sight of his daughter in visible pain. Preston’s abuse of Pacifica was well known to him. He’d never physically touched her as a child, but locking her in a closet and the Pavlovian bell were some of the cruelest punishments he had heard.  

All that said; he knew his father-in-law. He knew he loved his daughter and no matter how twisted Rick made his heart, that love was there. Preston will always put her first and this is what Dipper was banking on.

“You… this is what you did to her that day.” Dipper said and moved forward, gun still pointing at him. “You broke her string… broke her heart.”

“I would have taken care of her, she never came back!” Preston shouted back. “What… what’s she doing?”

“She had an aneurysm, a complication of her pregnancy.” Dipper said. “Something we would have shared with you if you were still a part of our lives.”

“She was…?” Preston stammered. “I…I didn’t know!”

Preston’s eyes grew wider and wider as Fiddleford replayed the scene over and over of his daughter helplessly crawling to the locker. He edited the footage to show her collapsed inches away from it. He didn’t want Preston to know she made it this far… or that his grandchildren were still around.

“She was carrying your grandchildren… not only did you kill your own daughter for Rick, but your family legacy. Their names were DJ and Dharma, and they will never know their mother’s love because of you.” Dipper growled. His hands were calm, and he was cold and detached. He could pull the trigger without a pang of his conscious… but it was too good for Preston. “You will never see them. That night… you killed the Northwest family line. You’re the last of your legacy.

“I… what have I done?’ Preston said, his hands were trembling. “I… it was Rick… he made me do it!”

“Make your own choice for once.” Dipper said. “I need this part… tell me where it is.”

The screen flashed a schematic of the board they needed.

“You’re… rebuilding the portal?” Preston asked, his face wore a dumbfounded look.

“Tell me!” Dipper shouted and pistol whipped Preston. Without another word, Preston hastily scribbled an address on a notecard and pushed it forward to Dipper. He rubbed his cheek and wiped blood from his nose.

“It’s not going to help. Rick’s everywhere now! Nothing will stop him!” Preston stammered. All the TV and monitors turned on in the office, playing Pacifica’s last moments on a loop, his voice bombarding the walls, taunting his daughter with the bell.

Dipper took a calming breath and pulled the clip out of the gun. Preston looked at Dipper with wide eyes as he set the firearm it in front of him.

“There’s one in the chamber.” Dipper said and turned around. He headed to the door and paused before opening it. He could feel Preston aiming at his back. “You have the free will to make the right choice.”

Dipper opened the door and left. As Dipper closed the door behind him, he grinned to himself as the gunshot echoed through the room behind him.

The Axe, the Microphone, the Tie, and The Dollar Bill are severed. There will be no mercy for the others.  

**_5_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment when done with this chapter. I'd love to know how you felt... this was a really hard chapter for me to write.


	19. The Reckoning

_**June 10, 2095** _

Mabel flipped the stations and rested on a breaking news report. She dropped the remote and stared as the headline scrolled across the bottom page.

_Leaky gas pipe caused explosion in local historic site "Greasy's Diner" 2 found dead._

"Oh… Dipper, what did you do?" Mabel whispered. She retrieved the remote and turned up the volume.

"A leak in the gas main was to blame for the blaze behind me as fire fighters rush to put out the landmark diner that's been standing for over a hundred years. Two bodies were recovered from the blaze, but the valiant efforts of the medical technicians on site were unable to save them. They were identified as "Lazy Susan", the oldest resident of Gravity falls, well past her hundredth birthday and still serving pies, and her cook.

"This tragedy comes right on the tail of our other tragic story, Preston Northwest Jr. has apparently committed suicide in his home, Northwest Manor. The billionaire philanthropist left no note indicating reasoning behind his decision. After his adoption by Preston Northwest Sr. The reclusive up and comer dominated the financial world as he took over the company from his adopted father. No one is certain who will helm the behemoth Northwest-Pines Industries, but we'll keep you up to date as more information becomes available."

Mabel heard the door open and close. She hurriedly turned off the TV, hoping the twins weren't back from their exploration of the woods. Her heart sank as Dipper walked past, and moved upstairs without saying a word.

"Fiddleford…" She said to no one in particular. "Keep an eye on him please?"

"You'becha" said the disembodied voice.

* * *

"You sure this is okay?" DJ asked. Dharma brushed him aside and grabbed the journal with the pine tree logo on the front with the number 1.

"I want to see the talking tree." She said defiantly and stormed off.

"But Dharma…" DJ protested. "We're not supposed to leave the house with the journal."

"We both know it's Dad's, so that makes it ours." Dharma said and flipped her hair around. "I want to talk to that tree. It's only an hour hike from here. Don't be such a baby!"

DJ sighed and followed his sister. She shoved the book in his arms and led the way, he flipped to the page that had the drawing of a gnarled looking willow tree with a sorrowful face that said "weeping willow"

Dharma reached her hand back and DJ grabbed hold of it, letting her lead him while he read. She was always protecting him, telling him he's hiding away behind books and needed to get out in the real world more.

Popular was what he'd call his sister. She's the one who was invited to all the parties, all the kids in school hung out with her, and he tagged along. It was an unspoken rule that if you invite Dharma, you invite DJ… even if you didn't want to.

He always looked up to his sister, even though he was born a minute before her.

"We're almost there!" She said with a grin. DJ caught up to her and peeked out from behind the underbrush into a clearing.

They saw the weeping willow swaying in the breeze.

"So… how do we wake it up, nerd?" Dharma said.

"Oh… umm… we just go up and talk to it. Don't say anything hurtful or it will start crying, and if it does, it will alert some of the more nasty things in the forest… so we don't want to do that." DJ said.

Dharma strode out from behind her cover and walked around the tree, inspecting it from all sides. DJ scrambled after her.

"I don't see its front." She said confused. DJ looked over the pages again and walked around the tree.

"I think this knot here is its nose." DJ said, pointing to a crooked knot.

"What a horrible thing to say!" said a voice from the other side. "How could such an ugly knot be my nose?"

Dharma rushed around the other side and bounced up and down with glee.

"There it is! It's real!" She said, stomping her feet and pointing.

"Hey, it's not polite to point." DJ reprimanded her. "I am sorry, kind sir, I've just never met a talking tree."

"Well, with your attitude, I don't see why any trees would want to talk to you." The Weeping Willow countered. "You're rude and hurt people's feelings"

"Oh we're sorry Mr. Tree" Dharma said in the voice she uses when she wants to manipulate someone. She leaned over and gave the tree a big hug. "Please forgive us, we're young and know not what we do. You can teach us!"

"A tree teach a human seedling?" The tree scoffed. "You wouldn't know what to do to begin with... so far you're breathing my air, standing on my roots, and bombarding me with high pitched noise that will surely make my seeds dry."

"You probably met our Dad." Dharma said. "Dipper Pines, he wrote about you in this book!"

DJ held up the tome to allow the tree to inspect it.

"He was indeed here not too long ago." The tree admitted. "I didn't know he had seedlings."

"Yes… we are his seedlings." Dharma said proudly. The tree grew silent, much to the confusion of the children. "Mister…"

"Quiet! Hurry! Get in my branches!" He ordered. The twins did as they were told and scurries into the branches of the tree.

"Here… this branch here… go on and take it… quickly!"

Dharma felt the tree shake in pain as DJ snapped off the indicated branch.

"What's going on?" DJ asked.

"They're coming… you need to be silent."

They listened to the tree. Dharma held her brother's hand and strained her ears. She heard it, the sound of barking and snapping. Three of the largest wolves she had ever seen wandered into the clearing and sniffed the ground.

"What are those?" Dharma asked DJ. He shook his head, indicating his ignorance.

The wolves paced around the tree, sniffing the ground. The twins held each other, and covered each other's mouths to keep from talking. DJ was shaking so much, his father's journal slipped from his trembling fingers and crashed onto the head of the alpha wolf.

The three looked up in the tree and locked eyes on the twins.

"You better climb higher. They can jump!" The tree said. The twins scrambled up the branches while the wolves leapt up and nipped at their heels.

"What do we do?" DJ asked. Dharma looked around franticly for something… anything.

"HELP!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Don't! That will attract more things!" DJ lamented. One of the wolves made it up to a lower branch and was trying to get the footing to pull him up. DJ shrugged and yelled with his sister. "HELP!"

DJ took the branch and jabbed at the wolf as it inched its way up the tree. His flailing about landed a lucky hit and jabbed the wolf in the eye. It winced in pain and slid back down. DJ broke off a piece near the end to give it a jagged point and steadied himself in front of his sister. He couldn't stop his legs from shaking, but he would protect her no matter what.

Dharma heard one of the wolves yelp and only two were at the base tree. There was rustling in the bushes around them, and the remaining two wolves seemed out of sorts trying to locate the new player.

"What is that?" DJ pointed to the rustling thicket. One of the wolves broke from the tree and rushed it. Their hearts leapt to see their father burst from the bushes holding a spear. He steadied himself and wedged the butt of the spear into the ground, allowing the wolf to impale himself on the rod. In one smooth motion, Dipper rolled the wolf over him and crashed the massive monster into the tree behind him. An audible snap could be heard as its spine broke.

Their father retrieved his spear from the massive beast and stepped into the clearing. He stared down the wolf that stood shoulder height to him, his face was stone and the look in his eyes said he was ready to kill. The alpha wolf took a few steps forward and snapped at him. Dipper took a step forward, and showed no signs of retreating.

"Leave…" is all he said. The wolf took a step back, and Dipper stepped forward, keeping the distance even between them. He never took his eyes off the wolf as it slowly retreated, like it was unsure if he wanted to attack the strange human or run from it.

When the wolf was inches from the tree line, it turned tail and bolted.

DJ and Dharma slid down the tree and tackle hugged their father. He knelt down, retrieved his journal, and slipped it inside his jacket.

"Oh my god, thank you!" DJ and Dharma said in unison. They both erupted in questions and re-telling of the events while he patiently listed to them. They followed him as he grabbed the two wolves and dragged their carcasses to the middle of the clearing.

"Would you mind if I do this here?" he asked the tree.

"I wouldn't mind the nutrients..." the Weeping Willow said. DJ and Dharma looked at each other confused as to what he was talking about. DJ almost puked when his father withdrew a massive knife and stabbed the dead wolf and slide it down the belly.

"What are you… oh god, I'm going to puke." DJ said. Dharma watched in fascination.

"They were not bad or evil. They were animals. If you ever kill an animal it should only be to defend yourself or eat. You need to be responsible for it… make use of what it sacrificed. This was a good lesson for you two today, and I'm going to commemorate it."

They watched as their father skinned the two wolves. The carcass was drained of blood and allowed to flow to the tree's roots. He carried the rest of the bodies to the edge of the clearing, to allow a meal for the scavengers.

On the walk home, a question was bugging DJ.

"How'd you find us? And… why aren't you mad?" He asked.

"I knew you were already getting into trouble, so I kept a close eye on you. And, why would I be?" Dipper asked. "You used my notes to find a creature, you survived your first monster encounter… and you got a trophy."

DJ looked at his spear/walking stick and raised his eyebrow.

"That's a gift, don't ever lose it. The Tree protected you and gave a part of himself to you." He said.

"Only 'cause you're our dad." Dharma scoffed. "If it was anyone else, he'd have let us be eaten."

"You really think that?" Dipper asked. "You think a being a thousand years old… who watches the cycle of birth and death over and over wouldn't value life and its struggles?"

Dharma shrugged and trudged forward.

"What are you going to make with those?" DJ asked. The massive pelts were cleaned and wrapped up, Dipper was hefting them on his back and the two wolf heads lolled to each side.

"You'll see" he said with a grin.

* * *

Dipper worked on his "project" for a little over a month. He rather enjoyed the shocked look on the children's faces when he removed the brains of the dire wolves. He explained to them the process of tanning and leather working as they watched in fascination. While they slept, he etched in the pelts various protection charm that will mask them away from most supernatural beings.

When he was not tanning and stretching the pelts, he was researching the leftover members of Rick's circle. Fiddleford was busy tapping phones and intercepting emails while Dipper did what he did best… formulate a plan.

"Owww!" howled DJ and Dharma as they ran through the mystery shack chasing each other. They had on the wolf pelts Dipper acquired. He fashioned the heads into full face caps with eyeholes and a snarling growl. The head was attached to a cloak made out of most of the leather. He used the leftover to make them a tunic and pants of the wolf leather. The whole thing was oversized, they should fit when the two reached adulthood, but for now, they looked like children running around in extra baggy clothes.

"Oh my lord… and you say you don't know how to make clothes. I wish you'd have let me help you! It's so baggy on them!" Mabel chuckled.

"They're not supposed to wear the rest of the clothes until they're older… only the cloak." Dipper said. DJ pushed back the mask and grinned ear to ear.

"This is awesome… Mom would love…er… Harmony." He said looking disheartened.

"Harmony is still your mom." Dipper assured him. "I won't take that away from you."

"So… do these have special powers? Can we turn into wolves when we wear these?" Dharma asked, hopping up and down.

"Well… if you go adventuring on your own… which, I suggest not to. These will keep you safe, and make most of the other animals think your wolves. Their scent is still on it, so most things will run away from you." Dipper said.

"Why are you encouraging them? Don't you remember all we've gone through?" Mabel asked, holding his hand.

"If Stan would have helped me… had trusted me… then things would be very different. I will not lie to them and allow them to follow the same path as us."

Mabel's smile fell. She took a sip of her tea and watched the children run out of the kitchen. Dipper could tell she had something on her mind.

"What's going on up there?" Dipper asked, taking a sip of coffee.

"Well… I saw the news. There was a fire at Greasy's" She said.

"Place always was a death trap." Dipper said calmly.

"Yeah… you wouldn't happen to know anything about it?" She asked. Dipper saw in her eyes she already knew it was him.

"Kid gloves are off. I'm done playing." Dipper said coldly.

"Like what you did to Preston?" She asked. "What'd you say to him?"

"Nothing, I let him watch Pacifica crawl to the locker… but in his version, she never makes it." Dipper said with a smile. Mabel's face went from placating to daggers shooting from her eyes.

"You're falling to their level now." Mabel snapped.

"Their level? Look around you!" Dipper shouted. "I'm done! Finished with this! I'm going to tear them down like they did me! There's no cosmic justice, there's no accounting for tearing my family apart! I will burn them all to the ground and salt the ground they die on!" Dipper shouted. Mabel turned away for a moment, giving Dipper a chance to storm out of the kitchen.

"What are you doing now?" She called after him. "You need to stop! You have your children to think about now!"

Dipper spun around and glowered at his sister. She could read what he was saying to her, the unspoken anger and spite he felt.

"Tell Billeah I'll be back." He said and threw on his coat. Tonight, he's going hunting.

* * *

Dipper broke the cellphone after making his call. It took hours to find what he was looking for, but it was all set up. He was going to send a message to Rick, and enjoy every minute of it.

"The anonymous tip was around here somewhere." Officer Blubs said to an unfamiliar partner. He looked older, grey, like when he took Gideon to prison, but no older than that. He must have been given an extended life, like Preston.

The partner seemed more intelligent that Deputy Durland.

"We're hunting a fugitive, don't we need more backup?" The partner asked. "I've heard some whispers about the Pines… and none of them give me confidence going in alone is a good idea."

"I've been dealing with Dipper since he was 12. I know how to handle him." Officer Blubs chuckled.

"Wait… how old are you?" His partner asked astonished.

"Old enough to know better, but young enough not to give a damn." He said with a chuckle and winked at the younger man.

Dipper groaned, Blubs still had that creepy uncle vibe.

Dipper took a step into the light, and looked at a window display. He pretended not to notice the officers, but watched them out of the corner of his eye. Officer Blubs shoved his hand in the air to silence his partner and pointed to where he was.

Dipper was not surprised to see Officer Blubs pull his side arm and aim.

'What are you doing?" The deputy asked.

"He's wanted dead or alive… I'm fixin' to get me a dead Dipper." said Officer Blubs.

Dipper ducked into the ally just as the gun went off. The display window exploded and shattered glass all over the concrete. He could hear the Deputy radioing in for backup as they chased him.

He knew there were easier ways of doing things. He thought about getting a sniper rifle and just picking off the rest of them… but he wanted to send them a message. Send them all a sign that he will not stand for this anymore.

Dipper turned the corner and pulled out a piece of chalk. Grinning ear to ear, he hastily drew a door on the smooth concrete wall. Quickly scribbling the incantation around the doorknob, yellow light burned through the markings and a cursed door appeared. The smooth oak frame seemed to breathe. Dipper hid behind some rubbish as the deputy and sheriff barreled around the corner.

"Where did he go?" the deputy asked. The sheriff pointed to the door and rushed forward. He tried to open it, but it was locked.

"Stand back... He's not getting away from us." Sheriff Blubs snarled. He gave the door a few kicks. The door responded with a low growl.

"I… don't think he's in there." The deputy said, backing away from the door. The frame expanded and contracted in annoyance at being disturbed.

"I'll show him…" Officer Blubs said and fired off three rounds into the door lock. The bullet holes closed and the wood was smooth again.

"I… we need backup! I'm going to…" the deputy stammered.

"Like hell!" Blubs raged and slammed his shoulder on the door, each time he backed up to get more and more momentum. "Open up, Dipper! I know you're in there!"

After the third slam, Blubs was a good ten feet from the door. He took a barreling run, readying his shoulder for impact.

The door flung open. There was nothing on the other side but an infinite row of teeth growing smaller till it tapered off into a point. He was running too fast to stop. A black tongue shot out, wrapped around Officer Blubs and pulled the screaming man inside. The door slammed shut. Dipper could hear the screams erupting from the other side as sheriff Blubs experienced a hell like no other. He will be pulled through the teeth, forever being eaten. Whatever immortality Rick had given him will now become his living nightmare.

Dipper stepped out of his hiding spot and stared down the quivering deputy.

"What… what did you do to him?" He stammered.

"Tell them I did this… tell them I'm coming for them and there is nothing they can do to stop me." Dipper said. He walked up to the quivering man and passed him with an air of indifference.

Poolcheck, Buddy Gleeful, and Mrs. Valenteno were all that's left.

Mabel flipped the stations and rested on a breaking news report. She dropped the remote and stared as the headline scrolled across the bottom page.

_Leaky gas pipe caused explosion in local historic site "Greasy's Diner" 2 found dead._

"Oh… Dipper, what did you do?" Mabel whispered. She retrieved the remote and turned up the volume.

"A leak in the gas main was to blame for the blaze behind me as fire fighters rush to put out the landmark diner that's been standing for over a hundred years. Two bodies were recovered from the blaze, but the valiant efforts of the medical technicians on site were unable to save them. They were identified as "Lazy Susan", the oldest resident of Gravity falls, well past her hundredth birthday and still serving pies, and her cook.

"This tragedy comes right on the tail of our other tragic story, Preston Northwest Jr. has apparently committed suicide in his home, Northwest Manor. The billionaire philanthropist left no note indicating reasoning behind his decision. After his adoption by Preston Northwest Sr. The reclusive up and comer dominated the financial world as he took over the company from his adopted father. No one is certain who will helm the behemoth Northwest-Pines Industries, but we'll keep you up to date as more information becomes available."

Mabel heard the door open and close. She hurriedly turned off the TV, hoping the twins weren't back from their exploration of the woods. Her heart sank as Dipper walked past, and moved upstairs without saying a word.

"Fiddleford…" She said to no one in particular. "Keep an eye on him please?"

"You'becha" said the disembodied voice.

* * *

"You sure this is okay?" DJ asked. Dharma brushed him aside and grabbed the journal with the pine tree logo on the front with the number 1.

"I want to see the talking tree." She said defiantly and stormed off.

"But Dharma…" DJ protested. "We're not supposed to leave the house with the journal."

"We both know it's Dad's, so that makes it ours." Dharma said and flipped her hair around. "I want to talk to that tree. It's only an hour hike from here. Don't be such a baby!"

DJ sighed and followed his sister. She shoved the book in his arms and led the way, he flipped to the page that had the drawing of a gnarled looking willow tree with a sorrowful face that said "weeping willow"

Dharma reached her hand back and DJ grabbed hold of it, letting her lead him while he read. She was always protecting him, telling him he's hiding away behind books and needed to get out in the real world more.

Popular was what he'd call his sister. She's the one who was invited to all the parties, all the kids in school hung out with her, and he tagged along. It was an unspoken rule that if you invite Dharma, you invite DJ… even if you didn't want to.

He always looked up to his sister, even though he was born a minute before her.

"We're almost there!" She said with a grin. DJ caught up to her and peeked out from behind the underbrush into a clearing.

They saw the weeping willow swaying in the breeze.

"So… how do we wake it up, nerd?" Dharma said.

"Oh… umm… we just go up and talk to it. Don't say anything hurtful or it will start crying, and if it does, it will alert some of the more nasty things in the forest… so we don't want to do that." DJ said.

Dharma strode out from behind her cover and walked around the tree, inspecting it from all sides. DJ scrambled after her.

"I don't see its front." She said confused. DJ looked over the pages again and walked around the tree.

"I think this knot here is its nose." DJ said, pointing to a crooked knot.

"What a horrible thing to say!" said a voice from the other side. "How could such an ugly knot be my nose?"

Dharma rushed around the other side and bounced up and down with glee.

"There it is! It's real!" She said, stomping her feet and pointing.

"Hey, it's not polite to point." DJ reprimanded her. "I am sorry, kind sir, I've just never met a talking tree."

"Well, with your attitude, I don't see why any trees would want to talk to you." The Weeping Willow countered. "You're rude and hurt people's feelings"

"Oh we're sorry Mr. Tree" Dharma said in the voice she uses when she wants to manipulate someone. She leaned over and gave the tree a big hug. "Please forgive us, we're young and know not what we do. You can teach us!"

"A tree teach a human seedling?" The tree scoffed. "You wouldn't know what to do to begin with... so far you're breathing my air, standing on my roots, and bombarding me with high pitched noise that will surely make my seeds dry."

"You probably met our Dad." Dharma said. "Dipper Pines, he wrote about you in this book!"

DJ held up the tome to allow the tree to inspect it.

"He was indeed here not too long ago." The tree admitted. "I didn't know he had seedlings."

"Yes… we are his seedlings." Dharma said proudly. The tree grew silent, much to the confusion of the children. "Mister…"

"Quiet! Hurry! Get in my branches!" He ordered. The twins did as they were told and scurries into the branches of the tree.

"Here… this branch here… go on and take it… quickly!"

Dharma felt the tree shake in pain as DJ snapped off the indicated branch.

"What's going on?" DJ asked.

"They're coming… you need to be silent."

They listened to the tree. Dharma held her brother's hand and strained her ears. She heard it, the sound of barking and snapping. Three of the largest wolves she had ever seen wandered into the clearing and sniffed the ground.

"What are those?" Dharma asked DJ. He shook his head, indicating his ignorance.

The wolves paced around the tree, sniffing the ground. The twins held each other, and covered each other's mouths to keep from talking. DJ was shaking so much, his father's journal slipped from his trembling fingers and crashed onto the head of the alpha wolf.

The three looked up in the tree and locked eyes on the twins.

"You better climb higher. They can jump!" The tree said. The twins scrambled up the branches while the wolves leapt up and nipped at their heels.

"What do we do?" DJ asked. Dharma looked around franticly for something… anything.

"HELP!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Don't! That will attract more things!" DJ lamented. One of the wolves made it up to a lower branch and was trying to get the footing to pull him up. DJ shrugged and yelled with his sister. "HELP!"

DJ took the branch and jabbed at the wolf as it inched its way up the tree. His flailing about landed a lucky hit and jabbed the wolf in the eye. It winced in pain and slid back down. DJ broke off a piece near the end to give it a jagged point and steadied himself in front of his sister. He couldn't stop his legs from shaking, but he would protect her no matter what.

Dharma heard one of the wolves yelp and only two were at the base tree. There was rustling in the bushes around them, and the remaining two wolves seemed out of sorts trying to locate the new player.

"What is that?" DJ pointed to the rustling thicket. One of the wolves broke from the tree and rushed it. Their hearts leapt to see their father burst from the bushes holding a spear. He steadied himself and wedged the butt of the spear into the ground, allowing the wolf to impale himself on the rod. In one smooth motion, Dipper rolled the wolf over him and crashed the massive monster into the tree behind him. An audible snap could be heard as its spine broke.

Their father retrieved his spear from the massive beast and stepped into the clearing. He stared down the wolf that stood shoulder height to him, his face was stone and the look in his eyes said he was ready to kill. The alpha wolf took a few steps forward and snapped at him. Dipper took a step forward, and showed no signs of retreating.

"Leave…" is all he said. The wolf took a step back, and Dipper stepped forward, keeping the distance even between them. He never took his eyes off the wolf as it slowly retreated, like it was unsure if he wanted to attack the strange human or run from it.

When the wolf was inches from the tree line, it turned tail and bolted.

DJ and Dharma slid down the tree and tackle hugged their father. He knelt down, retrieved his journal, and slipped it inside his jacket.

"Oh my god, thank you!" DJ and Dharma said in unison. They both erupted in questions and re-telling of the events while he patiently listed to them. They followed him as he grabbed the two wolves and dragged their carcasses to the middle of the clearing.

"Would you mind if I do this here?" he asked the tree.

"I wouldn't mind the nutrients..." the Weeping Willow said. DJ and Dharma looked at each other confused as to what he was talking about. DJ almost puked when his father withdrew a massive knife and stabbed the dead wolf and slide it down the belly.

"What are you… oh god, I'm going to puke." DJ said. Dharma watched in fascination.

"They were not bad or evil. They were animals. If you ever kill an animal it should only be to defend yourself or eat. You need to be responsible for it… make use of what it sacrificed. This was a good lesson for you two today, and I'm going to commemorate it."

They watched as their father skinned the two wolves. The carcass was drained of blood and allowed to flow to the tree's roots. He carried the rest of the bodies to the edge of the clearing, to allow a meal for the scavengers.

On the walk home, a question was bugging DJ.

"How'd you find us? And… why aren't you mad?" He asked.

"I knew you were already getting into trouble, so I kept a close eye on you. And, why would I be?" Dipper asked. "You used my notes to find a creature, you survived your first monster encounter… and you got a trophy."

DJ looked at his spear/walking stick and raised his eyebrow.

"That's a gift, don't ever lose it. The Tree protected you and gave a part of himself to you." He said.

"Only 'cause you're our dad." Dharma scoffed. "If it was anyone else, he'd have let us be eaten."

"You really think that?" Dipper asked. "You think a being a thousand years old… who watches the cycle of birth and death over and over wouldn't value life and its struggles?"

Dharma shrugged and trudged forward.

"What are you going to make with those?" DJ asked. The massive pelts were cleaned and wrapped up, Dipper was hefting them on his back and the two wolf heads lolled to each side.

"You'll see" he said with a grin.

* * *

Dipper worked on his "project" for a little over a month. He rather enjoyed the shocked look on the children's faces when he removed the brains of the dire wolves. He explained to them the process of tanning and leather working as they watched in fascination. While they slept, he etched in the pelts various protection charm that will mask them away from most supernatural beings.

When he was not tanning and stretching the pelts, he was researching the leftover members of Rick's circle. Fiddleford was busy tapping phones and intercepting emails while Dipper did what he did best… formulate a plan.

"Owww!" howled DJ and Dharma as they ran through the mystery shack chasing each other. They had on the wolf pelts Dipper acquired. He fashioned the heads into full face caps with eyeholes and a snarling growl. The head was attached to a cloak made out of most of the leather. He used the leftover to make them a tunic and pants of the wolf leather. The whole thing was oversized, they should fit when the two reached adulthood, but for now, they looked like children running around in extra baggy clothes.

"Oh my lord… and you say you don't know how to make clothes. I wish you'd have let me help you! It's so baggy on them!" Mabel chuckled.

"They're not supposed to wear the rest of the clothes until they're older… only the cloak." Dipper said. DJ pushed back the mask and grinned ear to ear.

"This is awesome… Mom would love…er… Harmony." He said looking disheartened.

"Harmony is still your mom." Dipper assured him. "I won't take that away from you."

"So… do these have special powers? Can we turn into wolves when we wear these?" Dharma asked, hopping up and down.

"Well… if you go adventuring on your own… which, I suggest not to. These will keep you safe, and make most of the other animals think your wolves. Their scent is still on it, so most things will run away from you." Dipper said.

"Why are you encouraging them? Don't you remember all we've gone through?" Mabel asked, holding his hand.

"If Stan would have helped me… had trusted me… then things would be very different. I will not lie to them and allow them to follow the same path as us."

Mabel's smile fell. She took a sip of her tea and watched the children run out of the kitchen. Dipper could tell she had something on her mind.

"What's going on up there?" Dipper asked, taking a sip of coffee.

"Well… I saw the news. There was a fire at Greasy's" She said.

"Place always was a death trap." Dipper said calmly.

"Yeah… you wouldn't happen to know anything about it?" She asked. Dipper saw in her eyes she already knew it was him.

"Kid gloves are off. I'm done playing." Dipper said coldly.

"Like what you did to Preston?" She asked. "What'd you say to him?"

"Nothing, I let him watch Pacifica crawl to the locker… but in his version, she never makes it." Dipper said with a smile. Mabel's face went from placating to daggers shooting from her eyes.

"You're falling to their level now." Mabel snapped.

"Their level? Look around you!" Dipper shouted. "I'm done! Finished with this! I'm going to tear them down like they did me! There's no cosmic justice, there's no accounting for tearing my family apart! I will burn them all to the ground and salt the ground they die on!" Dipper shouted. Mabel turned away for a moment, giving Dipper a chance to storm out of the kitchen.

"What are you doing now?" She called after him. "You need to stop! You have your children to think about now!"

Dipper spun around and glowered at his sister. She could read what he was saying to her, the unspoken anger and spite he felt.

"Tell Billeah I'll be back." He said and threw on his coat. Tonight, he's going hunting.

* * *

Dipper broke the cellphone after making his call. It took hours to find what he was looking for, but it was all set up. He was going to send a message to Rick, and enjoy every minute of it.

"The anonymous tip was around here somewhere." Officer Blubs said to an unfamiliar partner. He looked older, grey, like when he took Gideon to prison, but no older than that. He must have been given an extended life, like Preston.

The partner seemed more intelligent that Deputy Durland.

"We're hunting a fugitive, don't we need more backup?" The partner asked. "I've heard some whispers about the Pines… and none of them give me confidence going in alone is a good idea."

"I've been dealing with Dipper since he was 12. I know how to handle him." Officer Blubs chuckled.

"Wait… how old are you?" His partner asked astonished.

"Old enough to know better, but young enough not to give a damn." He said with a chuckle and winked at the younger man.

Dipper groaned, Blubs still had that creepy uncle vibe.

Dipper took a step into the light, and looked at a window display. He pretended not to notice the officers, but watched them out of the corner of his eye. Officer Blubs shoved his hand in the air to silence his partner and pointed to where he was.

Dipper was not surprised to see Officer Blubs pull his side arm and aim.

'What are you doing?" The deputy asked.

"He's wanted dead or alive… I'm fixin' to get me a dead Dipper." said Officer Blubs.

Dipper ducked into the ally just as the gun went off. The display window exploded and shattered glass all over the concrete. He could hear the Deputy radioing in for backup as they chased him.

He knew there were easier ways of doing things. He thought about getting a sniper rifle and just picking off the rest of them… but he wanted to send them a message. Send them all a sign that he will not stand for this anymore.

Dipper turned the corner and pulled out a piece of chalk. Grinning ear to ear, he hastily drew a door on the smooth concrete wall. Quickly scribbling the incantation around the doorknob, yellow light burned through the markings and a cursed door appeared. The smooth oak frame seemed to breathe. Dipper hid behind some rubbish as the deputy and sheriff barreled around the corner.

"Where did he go?" the deputy asked. The sheriff pointed to the door and rushed forward. He tried to open it, but it was locked.

"Stand back... He's not getting away from us." Sheriff Blubs snarled. He gave the door a few kicks. The door responded with a low growl.

"I… don't think he's in there." The deputy said, backing away from the door. The frame expanded and contracted in annoyance at being disturbed.

"I'll show him…" Officer Blubs said and fired off three rounds into the door lock. The bullet holes closed and the wood was smooth again.

"I… we need backup! I'm going to…" the deputy stammered.

"Like hell!" Blubs raged and slammed his shoulder on the door, each time he backed up to get more and more momentum. "Open up, Dipper! I know you're in there!"

After the third slam, Blubs was a good ten feet from the door. He took a barreling run, readying his shoulder for impact.

The door flung open. There was nothing on the other side but an infinite row of teeth growing smaller till it tapered off into a point. He was running too fast to stop. A black tongue shot out, wrapped around Officer Blubs and pulled the screaming man inside. The door slammed shut. Dipper could hear the screams erupting from the other side as sheriff Blubs experienced a hell like no other. He will be pulled through the teeth, forever being eaten. Whatever immortality Rick had given him will now become his living nightmare.

Dipper stepped out of his hiding spot and stared down the quivering deputy.

"What… what did you do to him?" He stammered.

"Tell them I did this… tell them I'm coming for them and there is nothing they can do to stop me." Dipper said. He walked up to the quivering man and passed him with an air of indifference.

Poolcheck, Buddy Gleeful, and Mrs. Valenteno were all that's left.


	20. Plan B

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rainbowgalaxy:  
> Honestly, I love Pacifica and I really didn’t want to do it. I have a specific ending in mind that I think everyone who’s suffered through the third act will appreciate and I thank you for dealing with the loss of your favorite characters. My Pacifica is going to be the main focus on a series of “Billeah’s Secret Files” one shots that I have in the works, and will show a growing relationship between her, Billeah and Dipper. (I promise not to explode her again!), so keep an eye on those updates!  
> I have plans on wrapping this up soon, I want Emersus done before the show picks back up. If anyone wants to help me do a re-write, PM me. I know this is really rough, but I’d like to clean it up really good for you guys… add extra scenes, more chapters, and make it really special.

**_August 3, 2095_ **

 

Dipper took DJ’s queen and smiled at him.

“Check,” he said. His son furrowed his eyebrows and concentrated on the board.

“Ha.” Dharma chuckled, Dipper raised an eyebrow at his daughter. DJ moved his knight into position and grinned.

“Checkmate.” he said triumphantly.

“You realize twin speaking during a game is against the rules?” Dipper chuckled.

“We were not!” DJ said indignantly.

He glanced at Mabel who set out some cookies. She chuckled and took the board away.

“I can do it too ya know.” he said.

“That’s just weird to watch.” Dharma said and took a bite of cookies. “Is it like that when people see us doing it?”

“Pretty much drives everyone up the wall.” Mabel chuckled.

“So… what are we going to do today, Dad?” DJ asked. Billeah joined them and opened her old laptop.

“I can’t believe that thing still works.” Dipper said. She shrugged and began typing.

Dipper’s phone buzzed, looking at the screen a text read Poolcheck arrived. He put the phone away and ignored the glare his sister gave him.

“I think your father is going to be gone for the evening. He has some business to attend.” Mabel said dryly.

“I can play with the children.” Billeah said.

“YAY!” they both shouted. “Read us another story!”

Dipper choked on his coffee at the comment, his sister dropped a plate.

“What?” They said in unison, glaring at her.

“Children like stories… so I read them stories.” She said indifferently.

“Not… those stories?” Mabel asked.

“We like the Monster Falls ones!” DJ said with a  giggle. “Dad’s a deer!”

“I made sure they’re at an appropriate reading level for their age.” She said.

“No tiki island?” Dipper asked.

“No beach party?” Mabel added.

“I’m shocked that you would think i would read those to children.” Billeah said indignantly and turned away with a huff. “Come children, I think Dipper the Deer is about to be eaten by a snake.”  

The twins followed their cousin to the back room, leaving Mabel and Dipper alone.

“Since when did she grow up?” Dipper asked.

“Think her missing overmind is making her… sane?” Mabel asked, shoving a cookie in Dipper’s mouth.

“So then… is she still Bill… or someone else now?” Dipper said, finishing his bite.

“All this is too confusing. Seriously, what was the text.” Mabel sat next to her brother and rested her hand on his. “Just… stop this now. Please, don’t do this… I saw this consume Gideon and you’re going down that same path. can’t you just let this one go?”

Dipper put his face in his hands.

“I can’t…” Dipper whispered.

“Dipper… you may not see it, but I’m really old now. I don’t have much time left. I will hate you forever if you die before me. You need to think of your kids… of Billeah. She’s got a new life now.”

The eruption of laughter echoed from the other room. Dipper and Mabel listened to the sounds of their cousin reading to the children. Her voice inflected the passion of her story, changing to match the characters, and giggling with the children during the humorous parts.

“When… have we ever heard her laugh like that?” Mabel asked.

“She’s why I’m doing this. She’s all I have left.” Dipper said softly.

“You have me! You have the children!” Mabel yelled. “I died that day when Pacifica crawled into that locker to save herself. Half of my soul was ripped from me when you disappeared!”

“I’m sorry!” Dipper yelled back. “Do you think I wanted this? Any of this? I made a terrible choice when we were twelve and I’ve suffered the consequences every day! In a single moment I’ve ruined countless lives! I have the deaths of a universe staining my hands!”

“And revenge is going to fix that? You’re going to wash away blood with more blood?” Mabel asked. “Stay here… be a father… You know they need you.”

“Poolcheck, Buddy, and Mrs. Valentino.” Dipper said coldly. “once they’re gone… I’ll give this up.”

“Don’t lie to me.” Mabel said coldly. “I hate that. I never lie to you… I’m always honest with you.”

Dipper stood up and walked to the door.

“If you walk out on us…” Mabel said coldly

“You going to finish that?” Dipper replied as he glared at his sister. “I didn’t think so.”

With that, Dipper let the screen door slam behind him. He ignored the sound of a shattered glass plate as he got into the car then had Fiddleford take him to the public school.

OoOoO

Dipper stood over a gasping Poolcheck as he struggled to keep his head afloat. His foot was in the pool drain, slowing sucking him in.

“Oh god! Help, Dipper! Please!” He screamed, his face twisted in pain and panic. Poolcheck kicked the wall of the pool, but to no avail. He was face down into the water, his leg broken at the shin, and a thin trail of red seeped into the crystal blue water.

“Please… please!” Poolcheck begged as he caught another breath of air. Dipper calmly walked to the supply cabinet and grabbed the body hook. A look of relief was on his face as Dipper held it out over him. He flailed trying to reach the hook, but Dipper placed it on his back, and slowly pushed him under.

“I guess I never did take this job serious enough.” Dipper said coldly. The flailing arms slowed to a halt. He pressed down a few times to ensure no more bubbles came out. Calmly he put the hook back on the rack, wiped the fingerprints off and left.

“You change the video?” Dipper asked.

“Yes… he fell in, got his foot caught in the filter, and drowned.” A sullen Fiddleford said. “I… I understand why, but this doesn’t feel right.”

“A ghost in the machine with a conscience? You’re the one who build a giant robot pterodactyl because your ex-wife left you.” Dipper said coldly. Fiddleford fell silent. “What’s the status of Buddy and Mrs. Valentino?”

“She’s at home, and Buddy’s working in the factory Preston gave you the address too.” Fiddleford said.

“Can the portal work?” Dipper asked.

“Of course… but what do you want to use it for?”

“Can it connect to Bill’s overmind in the Mindscape?”

“Even with the mathin’ you gave me from Blendin, I don’t have an answer to give you.” He said.

“Do you have the readings of the original accident… MY original accident?” Dipper asked.

“Yeah… we have a read the reports.”

“Can you recreate that?”

“Why would you want to?” Fiddleford asked in horror.

“Plan B.”

OoOoO

The boxy car pulled up to the Mystery Shack and let Dipper out. He stared at the Mystery Shack in the darkness. Golden light poured from the windows and he could see the movements of his family inside.

He couldn’t bring himself to walk up those steps.

He moved past the Shack and took the familiar path to where his home used to be. The forest had taken over any remains of the burnt husk he grew up in. He looked over the empty lot in silence.

Dipper steeled himself and continued walking. The familiar headstones came into view. His parents, uncle and grandfather, his enemy, and now his wife.

Loving mother, it read.

She never had a chance to even try.

Loving wife.

Those words rang true, and stabbed his chest. He was never a good husband to her. Always dealing with his obsession.

Dipper fell to his knees and clung onto the gravestone.

“Paci… I know… I know you hated nicknames.” he sobbed. “I need you so bad… I did… terrible things today and I don’t feel any guilt or shame. I’m all alone here, everyone’s moved on… the only one who won’t change is me. I can’t let go… I can’t let go of you.”

“Dipper?” came a voice behind him. Dipper sat up and rubbed his eyes. he could barely make out the figure. It was a slender woman with blond hair in a pony tail. His heart raced as she got closer only to let his hopes crash as he saw Billeah step into the moonlight.

“Oh…” He said solemnly.

“Dipper… come inside.” Billeah said.

“Your hair… and clothes.” Dipper said, she was wearing jeans, a simple yellow t-shirt and sandals. Her hair was hastily tied into a high ponytail, but still had her yellow eyepatch. She seemed to turn away from his gaze as he stared at her.

“I… got some new clothes.” She said. “The other ones… just seemed. Childish? I mean… after all we’ve gone through, I just wanted to put that part of my life away and try to be… I don’t know… normal.”

“Bill is really gone isn’t he?” Dipper asked, he sat up and leaned against Pacifica’s grave, feeling the granite headstone cool his back.

“I’ve wondered that… but I think it’s different. I can still feel Bill in my soul. It’s a part of me, but the connection… that strangling feeling I grew up with all my life is severed. I feel a weight has lifted from my shoulders and that I can think anything I want without worrying I’ll freeze as my mind flies off a million directions to see all the connections and possible outcomes.” Billeah said,

He could see the relief in her face and smiled.

“You should forget all this and start a new life then.” Dipper said.

“What? No!” She protested. “Why?”

“You’re 15. We were the same age when you were ambered. I grew and lived a life, and you were robbed of that. Then, when you got out, we lost another sixty years. I’m not the same Dipper you knew from before.” He said. “I’m… I’m scared of the Dipper I have become.”

Billeah smiled at him, there was no reaction to what he said, just a loving smile. The look infuriated him.

“I killed Poolcheck tonight. I used magic to jam his foot into the pool filter… his worst fear. I watched as he flailed around in terror at the end of his life… and I pushed his head down till he stopped moving.” Dipper said in a monotone voice. “Sheriff Blubs is in a cursed door being eaten forever… I blew up Greasy’s Diner, and convinced Preston to splatter his brains over the office.”

Billeah took a step closer, her expression held no judgement or anger.

“I’m… I’m just like them now. My hands are stained with their blood. I didn’t even try to think of another way.   

Billeah sat next to him and interlocked her fingers in his hand. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed.

“This is my place… right here. Thinking back, I think everyone knew… even Pacifica.” Billeah said.

“I… I can’t open my heart again… it’s dead inside.” Dipper whispered.

“All I’m asking… is to let me love you.” Billeah whispered. She wrapped her arms around Dipper and pulled him to her chest. He couldn’t hold back his tears and cried while she rocked him and rubbed his back. “I promise Pacifica, I’ll keep him safe.”

Dipper felt her fingers run through his hair. His mind was able to come back from the spiraling crash with just her touch.

“I hope… that you don’t think less of me.” Billeah said. “And, the timing is really… really bad. But, I just… with my head clear now… I just need to say it you.”

Dipper pulled himself up and wiped the tears from his eyes.

“What’s that?”

“Well…” She said, almost sounding embarrassed. Not the normal paralyzing embarrassment she was known for but a coy shyness that was new to him. “I’ve said this many times before, but for some reason this feels new… the new me.”

Dipper raised his eyebrow.

“I… I love you, Dipper. Please understand what I mean when I say it, and… I thank you for all you’ve done for me. I know… I know your heart is hers… but, I just want you to know there’s still someone who adores and admires you.” Billeah said shyly. “I just… well, I know how keeping things like that from each other turns out, and I just… wanted to stop holding it so close to my chest. It’s… my gift to you.”

Dipper nodded. The confession of a young woman; not a psychotic interdimensional demon who was so mixed up with his own emotions and dealing with an identity crisis of a young girl. Just Billeah, opening herself up to him.

“I don’t need you to say anything.” She said and rested her head on his shoulder.

“What do we do?” Dipper asked pulling his knees to his chest.

“Well… We can do what Mabel says… and just live?”

“Buddy… and Mrs. Valentino…”

“Will still be around…”

“The Portal…”

“Will still be there…”

“What about you?”

“I have some catching up to you guys in the growing up department.”

“I just feel like… I can fix all of this but I just don’t know how.”

“Nothing is ever really broken.”

“I just feel like I can’t trust myself to make any decisions.” Dipper whispered.

“Then don’t.” Billeah said, and held his hand again. “Just live… be a father to your children, be a mentor to me, and a brother to Mabel.”

“What about Rick?”

“If he shows up, we’ll kick his ass.” Billeah chuckled.

OoOoO

Dipper flipped the pancakes and set them on the plate. He was proud of the pancake skyline that filled the table. The kids were still in bed, a sleepy eyed Billeah stumbled in with a yawn wearing a short sleep shirt. When she stretched, it almost rode up too high for his comfort level. Billeah grinned ear to ear.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to give the old man a heart attack.” She said and observed the pancake towers. “I missed these.”

“I thought the kids would love to experience the tradition.” he said. “Harmony should be here soon.”

“You sure you want to do this?” She asked, wrapping her arms around his waist and gave him a hug. Dipper didn’t mind the added affection, but felt bad he never returned it anymore. He couldn’t bring himself to show it back. Every time she grinned at him, or said something, it reminded him of Pacifica. A simple hug felt like he was betraying her memory.

“Oh, we haven’t done pancakes in years!” Mabel exclaimed as she walked out of her room.

“Yeah, he’s trying to revive the tradition.” Billeah said and gave Mabel a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Billeah helped her to her seat.

“Harmony should be here soon. I just… wanted to make a good impression.” Dipper said quietly.

He had spent the rest of the summer with his children. They explored the woods every day and he showed them everything he could. Harmony was coming to get them now, and they will talk about the future of the children.

“Portland’s only a few hours away.” Mabel said reassuringly. “No one will judge you.”

Billeah draped herself over his shoulders from behind and planted a kiss on his cheek.

“Whatever his choice is will be the right one.” She said. Dipper sighed, looking at the Cubed Consolidated logo on the standard syrup bottle he had set out. His mind for the last month still reeled over how different things were. No choices, no variability, no competition. The world had become a totalitarian nightmare. The Shack seemed the one refuge from it all.

It broke his heart to watch the children, as inquisitive as they were, display habits that were now ingrained into them. They would cut their food in perfect squares, anything they draw was almost symmetrical to the point of absurdity, and they became visibly panicked at the sight of a triangle.

“I want to talk to them first.” Dipper said. He turned the pancake duties over to Billeah and headed to the attic where his children slept.

He knocked on their door softly and inched his way in. The square window that replaced the old Triangle one still sent a chill up his spine.

“Time to get up kids.” He said. “Harmony is going to be here in a little bit.”

The kids grumbled and sat up, rubbing the sleep from their eyes.

“We need to talk before we go downstairs.” Dipper said.

“What’s up, Dad?” DJ asked and sat next to him.

“Well… the last month has been great, and now it’s time to go home.” He said. He could see the look of disappointment on his children’s faces.

“I… wanted your opinion on that.” Dipper said. “I… I’m new at being a dad. I looked forward to it. But… things are hard around me. Sometimes they can be dangerous. I want you safe and living a normal life.”

“We don’t want to go.” DJ and Dharma said and clung to their father. His heart felt like it would break as he held his children in silence.

OoOoO

Harmony was the spitting image of Melody, but with a darker complexion she got from her grandfather. She was kind and patient as Dipper voiced his thoughts and concerns. She would nod and take a sip of coffee, letting him finish, and look over at the children.

“I understand, It’s very hard to agree to this. They have school and friends. We have activities planned out and scheduled a year in advance. The idea was to give them a chance at a normal life. Now you want to tear the stability they have to live… here?” She said and looked around the shack. “Couldn’t we start with scheduled visits and slowly transition?”

“That does make sense.” Dipper said, he felt so deflated.

“Please! We want to stay here!” the twins said in unison. Harmony beckoned them to her and hugged them.

“I understand, and I really want you to. Your aunt and I promised each other to do what’s best for you. As hard as it is to say, I barely know your father. I’m your mom, and I’ll worry all night about you two.” She gave Dipper a smile. “I don’t mean any offense, and I feel like such an outsider here, but they’ve been my babies since Mabel gave them to me. I never had a husband or got married, so they’re my life!”

Dipper nodded in understanding.

“I knew… we all knew this was a possibility. As a mom, I feared the day you’d show up and want to take them back.” She said. “I guess that’s the fear of any surrogate.”    

Mabel and Billeah said nothing during the discussions. Dipper wished Mabel would speak up. Harmony seemed to have come to a quiet decision.

“How about we stay for another week? I’ll go stay at a hotel in town and come visit. We’ll get to know each other and you can have some more time with the kids?” Harmony asked. Dipper nodded. He didn’t want to let them go, but he knew with her was the safest place for them.

He spent every waking moment with them. He learned all about Harmony and their life in Portland. They were going to a good school, and had many friends and activities. It wasn’t right for him to tear them away from that life. It would be Dipper and Mabel’s life all over again. When he found out about his parent’s death, his life in Piedmont was over. All his friends recoiled at the sight of him and promised to keep in touch, but never did. He wouldn’t do that to them.

“I’ll call you every day.” Dipper said as he kissed his children goodbye. “I’ll visit on the weekends, and we’ll have fun okay?”

DJ and Dharma held him tight and got into the large automated box car. He waved as they drove down the gravel driveway of the Shack and into town.

Billeah took his hand and laid her head on his shoulder.

“So what now?” she asked.

“I guess… I learn how to live.” Dipper said with a sigh. Buddy and Mrs. Valentino were all that’s left of Rick’s circle. Fiddleford had tabs on them. He made a mental truce with Rick, but if anything came near his children or his family… He would burn this world to the ground.

 


	21. Retaliation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Those who read my works should notice by now I don't do author's notes too often.
> 
> I want to assure many people who asked... last chapter was NOT the last chapter of Emersus... but after reading this one... you may wish it was. 
> 
> I'm redoubling my efforts to finish this before the 13th of July. I want everything resolved. I'll add more Secret Files later, and I have plans on revising this and re-posting the finished product. 
> 
> I want to thank you for all your support and ask please ride this out with me! I look forward to your comments and I will update as fast as I can!

September 24, 2095

Dipper waved goodbye to his kids after reading them a story on video-chat. He  wished them goodnight and closed the lid. He felt the slender arms of Billeah wrap around behind him, her warm face nuzzled the crook of his neck.

“Did they like that one?” She asked.

“Yea, Dharma loved that she was a Lamia.” Dipper said.

“I’m going to go take a shower.” Billeah whispered. The hair on his neck tingled when she coyly ran her nails across the back of her neck and swaggered to the bathroom. The new Billeah had been dropping innuendos left and right and Dipper had to hold on with both hands to weather the storm. He remembered being that age and how bad it was for him. They may all technically be in their 90’s but Mabel was the only one who looked like it. He’d grown out of that phase a while ago and Pacifica had been more than willing to help him with that.

Billeah’s only target was him, and without her overmind oppressing her day to day thoughts, she’s just now a normal teenage girl who is trying to find herself.

“Do you like the new Bill?” asked a voice in front of him. Dipper looked down at the kitchen table and saw a square with a mouth grinning at him. “Oh, I’ll tell you a secret… I’ve added a few things… maybe whispered some thoughts to flame certain desires. I thought it might make things more… distracting.”

“What do you want?” Dipper demanded. He was going to keep his emotions in check.

“Oh… I was checking in on you. You seemed to have made it a point to get my attention. Preston, Poolcheck, Blubs… you’ve been a busy beaver.” Rick cooed.

“So I have…” Dipper said.

“Well… I was going to offer you a truce… say, let you live your life until you die if you don’t bother any more of my people.” Rick chuckled. “But I thought otherwise of it.”

Dipper’s hands grew cold.

“What are you talking about?” Dipper choked.

“It seems you’ve taken a shine to the little carbon copies. You think I didn’t notice them? I keep a close tab on anyone associated to you four times out.”

“If you hurt them I swear to god I’ll…” Dipper threatened. His body grew cold at the sight of the mocking square.

“You’ll what? Kill an all-powerful being who has realized his full potential on this earthly plane? With a single word, I can have you drive a knife through your sister’s heart.” Rick said. “Or do you think your willpower is stronger than mine?”

“Why don’t you do it then? Why do you keep playing with us?” Dipper slammed his fist into the wood where the mocking face was.

The cabinets and floors turned into squares with mouths whispering. Dipper’s mind was screaming from the bombardment on him. He could barely hold himself together and could feel something running out of his ears. He felt like he was crying, and wiped away the moisture from his eye.

It was blood.

His arms shook and legs trembled. He was forced to stand and was horrified to find himself walking to the knife block, pulling out a butcher knife.

“Don’t…” Dipper choked out. “Don’t do this….”

“You forced my hand.” Rick said through the sonic bombardment. He used every ounce of will to drag his feet. He tried to force the knife into his own stomach as each step took him closer and closer to her bedroom.

Mabel had been tired and wanted to sleep. She had kissed him goodnight and he tucked her in so he could call the kids. Each step was one step closer to the half closed door of her room.

“Please… I’ll give up. I’ll quit…” Dipper choked, the blood tears flowed even harder and he could taste copper from his gums. “Just take me instead.”

“What’s the fun in that? You think I don’t control the world around you?” Rick said. “You think… that this world you wished into being is solely yours? I lay claim to this existence, and it will be forged into my perfection. And I wish for its creator to see how useless he truly is.”

Dipper’s shaky hand opened the door and walked to the sleeping form of his elderly sister. Her breathing was slow and methodic. He stood over her and sobbed as his trembling hand pulled down the covers.

Where was Billeah? She could come in and stop him! Why wasn’t she here?

Stay asleep… he thought to himself. Just… stay asleep… for the love of god… don’t see me!

“Brobro?” said a sleepy voice. Dipper had the knife hovering over her. He held back as hard as he could. The force of Rick’s influence felt like he was holding back the ocean. Mabel looked into his eyes, and smiled at him.

“Dipper… I need you to look at me and listen.” Mabel said. Dipper held onto her words. She sat up and put her hands on Dipper’s cheeks. “I love you… and I trust you.”

Dipper fell to his knees and let out a sob, the force redoubled its efforts onto him.

“It’s okay… don’t fight it.” Mabel said. “I’m here for you, I’ll always be here for you.”

“I… Mabel… I can’t… he’s… he’s too strong.” Dipper sobbed, he held the knife with both hands, trembling with rage and fear. Mabel put her hands on his and guided the knife to her stomach and pressed the blade to her skin.

“If you don’t... you’ll die.” She said. “He won’t let go until you do.”

“No... no no...” Dipper sobbed.

“You’ve sacrificed so much for me.” Mabel said. “It’s my turn.”

Like a broken dam, the force Dipper held back released. He felt warm fluid over his hands and looked down in horror as the knife was buried up to its handle in Mabel’s stomach.

“Mabel… Mabel…” Dipper said.

“Dippingsauce… there’s a box in my closet.” She whispered. “Don’t be sad… I miss Gideon, and I’ll tell Pacifica how much you miss her. She’ll be happy to know how good a dad you are.”

“I can’t do this without you...” Dipper whispered.

“I’m always with you silly.” She said. “Give me one more awkward sibling hug.”

Dipper held his sister; the squares gave a silent chuckle and disappeared.

“Pat… pat…” she said, and her arm slid from his back limply to her side.

“Dipper? Harmony’s on the phone! Something’s wrong…” Billeah shouted as she barreled through the door. “Dipper? Dipper what’s wrong?”

Dipper laid his sister in the bed and covered her. He closed her eyes and turned to face Billeah.

“Get dressed.” He said coldly. “Fiddleford, prime the portal!”

OoOoO

Dipper looked over to his cousin, her face was stone. He could feel the indignation and rage at what Rick had done.

“I thought the portal didn’t work.” She said, as Dipper put on his tactical vest.

“It won’t work for inter-dimensional travel without the piece, but for local hops its fine.” Dipper explained. “Portland’s only two hours away, we need to be there NOW to get Harmony and the kids.”

“Everything’s prepped on my end.” Fiddleford said. “We should be able to get them underground as soon as you grab them.”

“What about me? I want to help.” Billeah said.

“You watch my back.” Dipper said and handed her a shock stick. Billeah eyed the gun rack and raised an eyebrow. “I got enough blood on my hands for the both of us.”

The portal exploded in a pool of radiance. Dipper’s mind raced back to the day his sister floated in the middle of it. Her words echoed in his mind.

I trust you

If only he trusted her…

“Portal’s ready, boss!” Fiddleford said. “Give me a holler and I’ll get you scooted.”

Dipper and Billeah ran into the portal. Dipper was expecting a more dramatic transition, but before he knew it, he was in a hallway in some building. Billeah arrived next to him and pointed to door 23.

He heard something crash against the wall. Without thinking he kicked in the door and stormed in.

“Where are you naughty children?” Harmony screamed. She was holding a baseball bat, and had a wild look in her eyes.

“When she called, she was freaking out about squares showing up everywhere… then she hung up.” Billeah whispered.

“Look for Rick, you see him, use the stick. Maybe we can break the hold on her mind.” Dipper said. Billeah nodded and ran into the other room.

“COME OUT CHILDREN!” Harmony screamed. To re-iterate her point, she swung the bat and smashed an expensive looking vase.

“Harmony!” Dipper shouted. “Harmony, what’s gotten into you!”

“Oh, your little monsters are dead! They’ve tested me one too many times! The girl is so flippant, she never respects me! And that boy… I think he’s not right in his head!” Harmony said, she was looking left and right and shaking all over.

“Harmony… listen to me. You don’t want to do this. This isn’t you. You love them.” Dipper said, holding his hand out. She looked at Dipper and jerked her head side to side as if trying to shake something out of her ears.

“Yes… I love them… they’re my babies… lesson… must be taught a lesson.” She said.

Dipper heard the sound of an electric jolt from another room. Immediately Harmony’s face slacked. She looked around her destroyed living room with new eyes and dropped the bat in horror.

“Oh my god…” She whispered and fell to her knees. “Oh my god… what have I done?”

Dipper rushed over to her and gathered her in her arms.

“We need to get you out of here.” Dipper said.

“Kids! Get your bags!” Dipper shouted.

“Bags?” she said with a confused look on her face.

“I plan for everything…” Dipper said with a smile. “We’re getting out of here now.”

DJ and Dharma ran into the living room and tackle hugged their father. They were wearing the wolf cloaks he made them and had a backpack strung over them.

“We’re ready!” DJ said.

“We going back to the Shack?” Dharma asked.

“No… It’s too dangerous.” Dipper said. “Fiddleford, open it up.”

There was a rumble from outside the door. Dipper opened the front door to a white swirling portal.

“You three go through there. Fiddleford will instruct you from there. We designed a safe house that should keep Rick out. I’ll check on you later!” Dipper shouted over the rumbling of the vortex.

“Come with us, Daddy!” Dharma said and clung onto his leg.

“I can’t it’s too dangerous!” Dipper said sadly. “You two were very brave! I want to give you this!”

Dipper handed his Journal with the pine tree and the number 1 on it to the twins.

“This is yours now! Know that I love you, and your mom loves you, no matter what happens!” Dipper said and held his children. Harmony seemed to have gathered her wits and grabbed a few items during his exchange with his kids.

“Come on kids, let’s get going!” she said. She took their hands and led them to the portal. The twins pulled back the wolf masks and looked longingly at their father. He felt like that will be the last image he will see of them.

Wordlessly the trio stepped through the portal, and it snapped shut.

OoOoO

Dipper had laid to rest his sister next to his old enemy. The headstone was already carved, and it took little effort to carve the final date in its place. She must have taken a note from his book, because he found her coffin in the basement of the shack. Fiddleford filed her coroner’s report and cause of death as natural causes and all the traces back to the events that day were covered up.

He sat in front of the headstone, looking at his work. He head soft footsteps behind him.

“I can’t cry anymore.” He whispered. “I feel dead inside.”

“Let me cry for you.” Billeah said. She wrapped her arms around him and put her face into his back. He could feel her shake and cling onto him and felt his back moisten with her tears.

“I promised her to stop. I gave up for Pacifica… I gave up for her… every time I give up… he pulls me back in.” Dipper said, holding her hands.

“This is all my fault.” Billeah whispered. “I should have been more careful back then… I should have never allowed him near our world.”

“You couldn’t have known this would happen.” Dipper said.

“Yes… I should have. I see… used to see... everything! I knew every possible outcome of this world, and I never even thought of Rick being a threat!”

“Not even the omniscient can think of everything.” Dipper chuckled. “Who’d of thunk?”

Billeah just signed.   

“He only has two strings left.” Dipper said. “What happens when all of his strings are cut?”

“I… I don’t know… I know something happens, but I can’t be sure what.” Billeah said.

“Would… would you use GTB’s ice crystal?” Dipper asked. “I’ve used it a few times, but it’s too much for me.”

“I’m scared to go back to that world.” She whispered. “I feel… normal and if I link back to that kind of consciousness…”

Dipper turned around and held her.

“I won’t tell you to do it, but I will ask. We need to know what we can do to beat him.” Dipper said.

“I’m scared.” She said.

“Here…” Dipper said softly, he pulled her chin up to look at him and pressed his lips softly on hers. He felt her inhale sharply. She pulled him to her and could feel her tremble all over as she wrapped her arms around him and clung onto him. He pulled away with a smile. “Please?”

“That’s… not fair.” She said, out of breath and clawing his arm.

“I thought that was our established barter. A kiss for a favor.” Dipper said. He felt terrible for manipulating Billeah like that, especially where they were, but he needed to know and needed her cooperation if they’re going to fight back.

OoOoO

“I’ll wake you up in an hour.” Dipper said and kissed her forehead. His gloved hand produced the cold crystal he acquired from the Great Time Baby and held it out.

“I know you manipulated me.” Billeah grinned. “I’m rubbing off on you.”

She took the crystal and slumped on the bed, with her eyes rolled back in her head. He watched her for a few minutes to be assured she was okay and went to his sister’s room.

Her words echoed in his mind, about the box in her closet. It took a few minutes to find one with a pine tree drawn on it. He pulled it out and set it on the bed. He looked to the side where blood still stained the floor and pushed the image out of his head.

He opened the box and found brown paper covering the contents and a letter initialed “D” on the cover.

The date on the letter was ten years ago.

Dipper,

If you’re reading this, then I’m sorry for whatever happened. I know we planned to leave this world on the same day holding hands. We were going to grow old and yell at children from our shared porch and I was going to be the crazy grandma who tormented her grandkids with terrible clothes. We’d laugh as they lied to us about how nice it was and it’s the thought that counts. You’d force them to do the Lamby Lamby dance and we’d all laugh about it when they were older.

Sadly, we can’t do that.

As I write this, I don’t know if you’re ever going to come back or not. I may die of old age in my bed and you’ll find my bones long forgotten a thousand years from now… or you may show up next week, the one thing I know in my heart is that you will be back.

Gideon, oh bless him, he was obsessed with figuring this out. We got the portal almost fixed, but the fool made too many bets he couldn’t cover. It’s funny for me to say that I loved the creepy little boy from our youth, but he was there for me and he always believed.

One of the things he did for you is what’s in this box… go ahead and take a look!

Dipper pulled back the brown paper as gasped. Immediately he saw Journals 1, 2, and 3, the glasses, His pine tree hat, Mabel’s pink shooting star sweater, Gideon’s bolo, Stanford’s hat, and all the other items!

We never figured out what the Ice was, but Gideon thought you might have figured it out wherever you were. He broke into Cubed Consolidated to get the journals back and blew up the building. He was quite the terrorist!

I have a confession to make. I suspected the items were more important than Billeah ever made them out to be. It was too odd how no one seemed to be able to ‘claim’ them back. I tested this out with Robbie to confirm it… I never gave him his hoodie when you left for Antarctica. The one I gave him was a replica I made. I felt terrible after what happened there. If you haven’t seen the videos, Fiddleford will be able to fill you in on them. Someone is waiting to see you.

This box is my last gift to you, the culmination of our lives in Gravity Falls. Everything we’ve worked so hard for is in here. Each piece is us, our soul that bound us together in friendship and family. I think there’s a deeper mystery with these items that you can discover.

Just remember:

I trust you.

Mabel.   

Dipper checked the time, noting he had 15 minutes left to wake Billeah up. He secured the items in his lab and made his way to see her.

She seemed relaxed and sleeping with the crystal over her heart. He deftly plucked it from her fingers and she sat up with a gasp

“Hey, it’s okay.” He whispered. Billeah locked eyes on his, flung herself from her bed and latched onto him. He almost touched the crystal to her again, but he was able to drop it on the bed. Her arms were like a vice and she wrapped her legs around him and clung onto him like a scared child.

“No… never again… please… never again.” She whimpered. Her whole body quaked in fear and she couldn’t seem to cling to him tight enough. He carried her to his old bed and laid down to comfort her, she moved one leg so he wouldn’t lay on it, but wrapped it around his free leg and entangled it.

“What happened? What did you see?” Dipper whispered and ran his fingers through her hair.

“Everything… I saw you die over and over again. You always die… I always die… we can’t stop it.” She whispered. Her face scrunched up as she sobbed. “I don’t want you to die.”

“I’m here… that’s okay.” Dipper said.

“No it’s not… there’s no way to stop him. Even if we cut all the strings, there’s no way to push him back out. This is his world now.” She whispered.

“We have all of your strings.” Dipper said. “Mabel gathered them up. The crystal was the last one.”

Billeah looked up at him, reading the truth in his face.

“No… it won’t work.” She said.

“Because it won’t or you don’t want it to?” Dipper asked. She burrowed her face in his chest and dodged the question.

“The strings… they never were the person were they?” Dipper said. “They were connected to the person and drew power from them, but they were the items the whole time.”

Billeah shook her head no, but never looked up at him.

“Nothing will work. Just stay with me and keep me safe.” She whispered. “You promised to shelter me”

“Billeah… are you lying to me? Tell me the truth.” Dipper said and moved to push her away from him. She frantically grabbed at him, a look of terror on her face.

“No… please... please… yes!” she sobbed. Dipper paused, and let her latch back onto him. “You’re right about them.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Dipper asked. “We could have used them so long ago.”

“The last one was with the Time Baby, the risk was too much to retrieve it.” She said. “That’s how I planned it. They were never meant to be brought together.”

She looked up at him and put her hand on his cheek.

“Even if we sever his last two strings… there’s no way to remove him from this world unless he leaves willingly. We have nothing he wants.”

“There’s always Plan B” Dipper said coldly.

Billeah looked up at him with horror in her eyes.

  



	22. Retribution

October 1, 2095

Dipper was given a glass of hot tea at Valentino’s funeral home. Mrs. Valentino grinned at him from across the way while her zombified husband sat next to her.

“And to what do we owe this visit? I assume this is about your sister?” She asked and took a sip. “Would you like to view a selection of coffins? Or would you like to explore some alternative interment options.”

“Are you happy?” Dipper asked. Mrs. Valentino’s plastic smile didn’t waver. “You’re always smiling… but are you really happy?”

“Of course… why wouldn’t I be?” She said chipperly.

“How’s Robbie?” Dipper asked. He didn’t miss the slight twitch in her eye at the mention of his name.

“… Unrecoverable… no thanks to your dearly departed wife,” she said flatly.

“That was a shame. It was my fault for taking him with me, but he insisted.” Dipper said.

“It’s all in the past.” She said. “So are you here for vengeance then? The wrath of Dipper? The great cleansing and all? Don’t think I don’t know what you did to Blubs and Poolcheck. I really don’t give two hoots about Preston, he always was a pompous ass.”

“I want to sever your string to Rick.” Dipper said. He spoke with no malice, or anger. His mind was clear with his task, and he wanted to do this Mabel’s way.

“And why would I do that?” she asked, sipping her tea.

“I can bring back your son.” Dipper said calmly. “Not just as a zombie… but all the way. He will be flesh and blood.”

Mrs. Valentino’s smile cracked briefly, but reapplied itself.

“Nonsense… Rick couldn’t do it… what makes you think you could?” she said.

“I’m going to banish Rick from our world, and I’ll have the power to bring him back. I need you to renounce him so he weakens.”

The woman across from him erupted in laughter at Dipper’s announcement. Dipper sighed… He tried to ask nicely. The woman’s donkey laugh bombarded his ears, giving him a headache. With one smooth motion, he drew his sidearm and fired a shot between her eyes. Her husband looked at him in shock, before he could say anything, Dipper fired another round.

He turned to leave, only to see a floating cube in front of him.

“I thought we were past all this Dipper.” The cube said.

“This is new.” Dipper commented. The block in front of him looked to be of a dark mahogany. There were no lips or other features typical of Rick’s normal appearances.

“I thought a more personal approach is in order.” Rick said. “See… if you haven’t guessed yet… We’re going tit for tat. I thought with the loss of your sister, you’d live your life alone… grow old with Bill and die a normal human life… but no. That’s not our hero.”

“You’ve got no one left to take away from me!” Dipper snapped. “You won’t kill me or Billeah… no one is left.”

“I really enjoy our conversations… and proving you wrong.” The box said. There was a slight fizzle and all the lights in the house exploded. The box fell lifeless to the ground. He was engulfed in darkness.

Dipper fumbled his way to the door and wrenched it open.

“Fiddleford… what just happened?” Dipper called out. His armband was fried. He ran down the road from the graveyard to the main town. Everything was dark. They all looked around confused, unable to make sense of what just happened.

Dipper spied a payphone and ran to the receiver.

“Fiddelford!” Dipper shouted into the dead air. “FIDDEFORD!”

Looking around at the uncanny blackness of Gravity Falls. Dipper felt his stomach sink… how far did this go?

Dipper ran full speed back to the shack.

“So many lives now stain your hands.” Rick taunted as he ran past a telephone pole.

“Hospitals are without power…” Rick said. Dipper ran on ahead.

“Planes fall out of the sky like a meteor shower.”

“Shut up!” Dipper shouted.

“Your little ghost in the machine… is gone.” Rick said with a laugh. “Vaporware.”

“Why did you do this? Why are you killing so many to get to me?” Dipper said, punching a grinning square in the wall.

“Well… I needed to make some room anyway. I was thinking a virus… or something else to thin out this population… but this will do nicely. We’ll see who can survive. Also, let’s not forget the little clones. You ferreted them away somewhere nice and safe… How long will that last without power?”   

“You bastard!” Dipper shouted and pounded the wall where Rick’s face was. The face reformed after each strike, laughing at him.

Dipper ran full force down the gravel path to the Mystery Shack. Billeah was waiting for him outside, holding a candle.

“What happened?” She asked with look of terror on her face.

“Rick must have set off EMP bombs all over the earth.” Dipper said, out of breath. “We need… to check the portal... that room was reinforced… it should be okay.”

Billeah helped Dipper to the vending machine. He pressed in the code, but nothing happened. He swore and shoved the machine over, shattering the front glass and scattering its contents on the floor.

They ran down the stairs and crawled through a service hatch for the elevator and made their way into the lab.

Dipper grabbed a flashlight and checked the circuits. He nodded in approval. Nothing was fried, but there was no electricity. Dipper ran to the back of the portal and checked the generators. They seem fine as well.

“Good… We won’t’ turn this on until we…

“Hey, guys?” said a familiar voice down the hall. Dipper looked at Billeah who sheepishly grinned.

“I was going to tell you… we had a visitor.”

Dipper shone the light on the intruder and his eyes rested on a straw hat and a grinning overweight man.

“Buddy Gleeful… to what do I owe the pleasure?” Dipper said, dripping with disdain.

OoOoO

“You don’t… have to tie… so tight.” Buddy protested as Dipper wrapped duct tape around his wrists and secured him to the chair.

“Why don’t I just put a bullet in your head like I did Mrs. Valentino?” Dipper asked after ensuring he was secure.

“Because… I think you might need me.” He said. “That’s why I came over.”

“You’re defecting?” Dipper asked suspiciously.

“I saw you taking out all the others… I really don’t want to have that happen to me.” Buddy said with a chuckle. “Really, I’m just a big coward.”

“I see…” Dipper said and searched his pockets. “Billeah look for squares…”

Billeah nodded and scoured the lab for anything suspicious.

“Seems like you got a bigger problem don’t you?” Buddy said solemnly. “I saw the lights go out… he’s already started his next phase hasn’t he?”

“What do you want?” Dipper snapped while he searched the bookshelves for Rick hiding behind them. Without electricity, the portal room was vulnerable… he could be anywhere.

“Was he happy? He seemed happy last time we talked.” Buddy said with a smile. “Ya know… not growing old did stink. I missed seeing him grow up. He sure won the jackpot when he married Mabel. I always liked her”

Dipper backhanded Buddy and knocked him over.

“Don’t… talk about her.” He said breathing through his nose. Billeah stood in front of him and pushed him back.

“He’s here to help, don’t do this.”

“No… I understand.” Buddy said. He spat blood and a tooth as Dipper hefted him back up.

“What is it you want?” Dipper asked again.

“I want to renounce Rick and help you.” Buddy said again. “It’s the least I can do.”

“Why? It doesn’t make any sense.” Dipper said pulling up a seat to face the last string.

“I’ve been planning this for years.” Buddy said solemnly. “It’s just... I was the one who killed Gideon.”

Dipper was ready to lose it again, but Billeah’s steady hand kept him from losing his blind fury.

“It was when I last talked to him.” Buddy explained. “When he broke into the factory I was managing. He was… He was older than me. The look in his eyes when he saw me wasn’t the normal disdain and indifference growing up. It was changed to almost pity. The son I abandoned… pitied me.”

Dipper rubbed his temples and sighed.

“I’m not a brave man… but I know I made a terrible choice in my life. I just… I know you’re going to kill me… or Rick will eventually. I just want to move on knowing that I finally did what’s right.” Buddy said as tears rolled down his cheeks. “Dipper… I shot my boy and it’s haunted me every night.”

“Rick has made us do many terrible things.” Dipper said looking at his hands, the feeling of Mabel’s blood covering them rose to the surface.

“That’s why I’m here… I know what Gideon was after. I took and hid one. It wasn’t till the rest of us started dropping like flies that I knew I had to find you before you found me.” Buddy said excitedly.

“You… brought me the circuit board?’ Dipper asked. Buddy nodded and pointed to a duffle bag in the corner. Dipper rushed over and found a plain white box. Inside was the familiar green silicone card. Without much thought, he rushed over and tore open the panel that needed the piece and paused.

Dipper’s hand was trembling. Fiddleford… he needed him to verify there is no malicious software… no viruses… this could all be a trap.

Dipper pulled the board out and set it on the terminal desk and sighed.

“Soon… I need to check it out to make sure it’s not going to Trojan horse anything.” Dipper said. Buddy nodded and fidgeted with his duct taped hands. “Billeah, cut him loose and get him out of here… I need to work. If he tries anything… use the stick.”  

She nodded and let him loose. She escorted him to the service ladder and left him alone. Dipper looked at the equipment sitting useless in front of him and swore.

Dipper spent twelve hours hooking up all the systems to the bank of backup generators. Running some numbers he dropped his pen at the results.

“I brought you food.” Billeah said behind him. He waved to an empty spot amidst the pile of papers.

“I can’t turn anything on… not yet… if I do, we won’t have enough power. I checked all the batteries and generators… we have enough for one shot.” Dipper said softly.

“Okay…” Billeah said.

“Harmoney and the kids… are buried in a collapsed cave. Gideon completed my designs… there is no way to get them out without a teleporter. I never thought to EMP proof it… so whatever systems were recycling and filtering the air is fried… All they have are candles and flashlights.” Dipper said.

“Then… that’s our priority.” Billeah said and hugged him. “We need them to be a family.”

Dipper rested his elbows on the desk and laid his head in his hands.

“What other option is there?” Billeah asked. “We have to save them.”

Dipper’s mind prickled with her words. Something didn’t feel right.

“We have your objects… we have Buddy here… we can get you to the mindscape and connected back with Bill.” Dipper said, He sat up and looked her in the eye. “You don’t want to go back do you?”

Billeah took a step back and shook her head. She gave him the sweetest and most plastic smile he had ever seen on her face.

“Tell me what you’re thinking.” Dipper said.

“We need to save the babies.” She said. “I don’t matter, you shouldn’t worry about me. That’s my job. I’m here for you now; to love you with all of my being and support you.” Billeah said. Her voice was trembling.

“That’s not the real reason.” Dipper said coolly.

“I…I can’t go back. I don’t want to be him again!” Billeah wailed. “You can’t make me go back!”

Dipper stood up and moved to hold her; she slammed both fists into his chest and shoved him away. She ran full speed to the hatch and climbed out.

Dipper wanted to go after her, but he needed to ensure this piece would work. After hooking up a battery to one of the terminals, he was relieved to see the boot up prompt. He needed to work quickly, or else there won’t be enough power.

OoOoO

Dipper found Buddy and Billeah at the Pines gravesite. He walked up to the two of them, but didn’t say a word.

“He always loved it around here. Especially when we performed. Oh, he had a sour attitude most of the time after he found that journal, but… I could still see the cute wide eyed child he was.” Buddy said.

“I never did apologize… for leaving him like that.” Dipper said softly. “His hand… was purely his own fault. I could have saved him… I could have moved the rock with that stone you made him find. Turn him over to the police and let world judge him.”

Buddy nodded his head.

“We don’t know what we would do when life throws situations at us like that.”

“The circuit board is clean… It’s installed.” Dipper said flatly.

“Well… do with me what you will.” Buddy said. “I did what I came here to do.”

Dipper sighed. He wanted to just put a bullet in his head, but Buddy seemed to have truly renounced Rick. With his circle, that was all it took to sever the tie… but was that enough for Rick?

He moved next to Billeah and put his arms around her. He held her close and buried his face in her shoulder, smelling her strawberry scented hair.

“I want to save them…” he whispered. “If we do… we’re condemning all of humanity to be ruled by Rick… saving them now… doesn’t mean they will be saved next time… or the time after that.” Dipper said. He could feel her tremble at his words. “That being said… I still want to save them.”

Billeah spun around and kissed him. He held her close and let her wrap her arms around him. She kissed him over and over mouthing the words thank you over and over. His heart ached, thinking of Pacifica, but he wasn’t going to force Billeah to become Bill. She had to make that choice herself. They had one shot at saving the children, and then they would have to hide from Rick the rest of their lives.

“It takes 24hrs to charge the portal once I start the process.” Dipper said. “We have some time to kill.”  

Billeah nodded and continued to cling to him.

OoOoO

Dipper laid awake, staring at the ceiling. He was in his old bed in the attic. Buddy was in the guest room and he gave Billeah Mabel’s bed. He couldn’t sleep in that room. He heard a familiar shuffle

“I can’t sleep,” Billeah said and shut the door behind her. Dipper looked over at her. She wore a short yellow teddy with her hair cascading down over her shoulders. She took confident strides to close the distance from the door to the bed and pulled his covers off.

“What are you…?” Dipper started to ask while sitting up. Billeah shoved him back on the bed and sat on top of him. Immediately he could tell she was not wearing underwear. “Stop.” He whispered.

“No… please… We might die at any moment. I need you. I need you to see me. I know you love me. I can feel it in my heart! You act like you don’t or that you’re above all of it but you can’t lie to me!” Billeah exclaimed. She slid her hands under his button shirt and tore it open. The buttons clattered on the wood floor. She kissed his stomach, up to his neck and nibbled on his ear.

“Close your eyes… if it helps, pretend I’m her.” Billeah whispered. “I just… I can’t die without you loving me the way you did them.”

Her words were filled with anguish and longing. He tried to keep his mind straight but the sensations were spurring up his more base desires. He was glad he fell asleep with his clothes on.

“Billeah…” Dipper said louder. “Billeah… I want you to stop.”

She continued to grind against him, kissing his cheek. Sitting up she pulled off her teddy and revealed herself to him. Dipper looked away.

“I used to watch you all the time.” She whispered in his ear. “At night, I’d imagine doing this thousands of times over and over.”

“Stop.” Dipper whispered. He moaned at the sensation

“Please…” She pleaded. Dipper sat up and wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her to him and held her as tight as he could.

“I do love you… don’t you understand?” Dipper said. “I’ve always loved you and never stopped.

He pulled away and looked at her. She leaned forward to kiss him but he pulled away.

“Stop… not like this.” Dipper said.

“I can’t wait any more.” She whispered. “I’m so scared… I’m scare I’ll lose you… or you’ll lose me. I don’t want us to be alone. Why won’t you just be with me?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to…” Dipper whispered.

“Pacifica’s gone… Wendy’s gone… Candy… Mabel… they’re all gone! I’m the one here! I’m the one you always looked over. Don’t I get a chance to be happy with my Dipper? Even… even if it’s for one night of pretend?”

“I can’t betray Pacifica.” Dipper admitted. “I know she’s gone… but I’m not ready to do that yet… and not like this. You're still young… the young girl I knew a long time ago. That Dipper is long gone. He grew up and it’s me now. I’m sorry, I’m not the Dipper you love.”

“But I do… you’re the same no matter what. You’re my Pine Tree.” She whimpered.

“And I’ll always be your Pine Tree.” Dipper said. “And maybe… we can be like this. But not now… not just yet. I just can’t. If we do… I feel like I would lose a part of myself.”

Dipper laid her down and covered them up. He held her to his chest and let her cry out all her frustrations until she fell asleep. He watched over her, stroking her hair until the golden light of dawn bathed her sleeping form in warm golden light.    

“I do love you…” Dipper whispered and closed his eyes.

 

 


	23. Escape

October 2, 2095

Dipper woke up next to the naked sleeping Billeah. She never relaxed her grip. She was sleeping soundly so he slid out of bed and hastily covered her back up. His mind was weary from trying to spurn her advances all night.

First thing he did was check on Buddy. The sleeping man was still handcuffed to the bed and snoring loudly. One thing he wanted to ensure was that Buddy wasn’t there to sabotage anything. Why would Rick hand him the piece to make his portal work and then blow it up? Dipper shook his head, trying to figure out Rick was too much of a headache without coffee.

Dipper sighed and enjoyed the black coffee he poured himself.

“Rough night?” asked a familiar voice.

Dipper looked down at the smiling square in his wood tabletop.

“I assume Billeah kept you occupied.” Rick grinned. “She’s always thinking of you.”

“What do you want?” Dipper demanded dryly.

“I’m just checking in on Buddy… is he doing okay?” Rick asked.

Dipper raised an eyebrow at the smiling square.

“He’s chained to a bed.” Dipper said.

“So… the wrath of Dipper is tempered?” Rick chuckled. “I suppose as we try to one up each other… someone had to back down. I know it wasn’t going to be me.”

“Are you trying to goad me into killing him?” Dipper asked.

“You seem to think you’d have a choice in the matter if I wanted you to kill someone… we both know how well that conversation went last time.” Rick said.

Dipper wanted to explode… but decided to keep a cool head and feign impartiality. Rick was here for a reason and he wanted to know what it was.

“You made your point… so what is it you actually want?” Dipper asked. Something itched in the back of his mind… Rick was too polite.

“I thought I would just be upfront and ask what you’re planning. I can feel the portal powering up. It’s basically the only electrical signal on the planet.” Rick chuckled.

“I’m saving my children… they should have a day’s worth of air left.” Dipper said. “Then I’m going to run and hide and never show my face to you again.”

“That seems…. anti-climactic.” Rick said. Was he disappointed? “Well… I do find your attempted rescue as going against my wishes… but since Bud is still alive… I think I can let it slide this once.”

“He renounced you… he gave me the part I needed for the portal.” Dipper said. “But you knew that already.”

“Do you think I’d tie my strings that loosely?” Rick chuckled.

“No I don’t… that’s why I think you’re here.” Dipper said and took a sip of his coffee. “I’ve shown time and again my love of reckless behavior. Having your last avatar hiding from you under my roof makes you nervous.”

“That’s what I like about you.” Rick chuckled. “You’re observant.”

“Indeed.” Rick said and took another sip of coffee.

“So… ensure his safety… rescue you children… and ride off into the sunset.” Rick said with a grin. “We’ll never speak again and I wish you luck surviving my new world.”

“Those are acceptable terms.” Dipper said. Rick frowned. “What?”

“You’re lying… I can taste it.” Rick said.

“Why would I?” Dipper asked.

“You may think you’re telling the truth, but you’re the worst kind of liar… the one who lies to himself until he believes it.” Rick said. “No matter… you have the terms of surrender. Should anything happen to Buddy… well… you know what I’m capable of. Don’t worry… he’ll outlive all of you anyway, so I don’t want you to worry about him getting sick or old… just make sure he doesn’t fall down some stairs. He is clumsy.”

Dipper nodded and looked down to the blank table. Rick was gone and his words rang in his ears. Was he lying to himself? Could he really walk away from all of this?

Thin arms wrapped around him and soft lips pressed on the base of his neck and shoulder.

“Thank you… and I’m sorry” Billeah whispered.

Dipper held her hands and pulled them around him more, interlocking his fingers with hers.

“Understand… it’s not that I didn’t want to…” Dipper whispered.

“I know… I understand. If we did… I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.” Billeah said. Dipper turned around and pulled her into his lap. She held him and rested her head on his shoulder. He could smell her hair. She had always been so small, Dipper noted.

“Rick was here.” Dipper said. Billeah nodded at his words, but said nothing. “He said he’s fine with our plan, and he’ll let us take DJ and Dharma without a fight. We just need to keep Buddy alive until we die of natural causes.”

Billeah said nothing.

“The world is thrown into the stone age… I don’t know if humanity can recover from this.” Dipper said.  

“Could someone un-cuff me please? I have to go to the bathroom,” called Buddy from down the hall.

“I have to…mmfh” Dipper said. Billeah kissed him and held his cheeks in both hands, refusing to let him go. She tried to slide her tongue into his mouth, but he kept his jaw firmly shut. He was already walking a tightrope with her and he didn’t need any more incentive to fall off until they made it to the other side. He ran his fingers through her hair and gently tried to pry her off him. When she needed air, she broke contact. She locked eyes with him and panted heavily.

“Sorry…” She said sheepishly. “I’m going crazy.”

Dipper chuckled and rubbed her back.

“I understand… but please.” Dipper said. “I need to think clearly and you’re not helping me.”

Billeah begrudgingly left his lap. She made herself some food while Dipper un-cuffed Buddy.

“He was here… wasn’t he?” He said nervously.

“Yes… we spoke.” Dipper admitted.

“About what? You didn’t tell him about the plan did you?” Buddy asked.

“He knows about the portal. He said it was fine to get the kids and go underground.” Dipper said solemnly. “WE just need to make sure you stay alive, and we’ll be rid of Rick’s influence.”  

Buddy looked at him with a combination of shock and disappointment.

“That… that wasn’t the plan. The plan was you fighting back and kicking that square back to his own… wherever he came from.” Buddy said solemnly. “That’s why I came to you… you’re the craziest son of a bitch I know who has the guts to do something about all of this!”

“Hey… come to the kitchen and get some food. We can talk about this in there.” Dipper said. Buddy nodded and followed him out of the bedroom and to the kitchen. He took a seat and accepted the bowl of cereal Billeah sat in front of him.

“Toast?” She asked. He nodded and she pushed down two more pieces of bread into the toaster.

“You… you have the power to do it… why don’t you?” He asked.

“That’s the problem… the portal will work once. My children are trapped under two hundred feet of rock and concrete and are slowly suffocating. I need to save them.” Dipper said.

“I… I don’t want to sound like the ass here, but it’s only two people. You could be saving billions by getting rid of Rick.” Buddy said.

“Would you let Gideon die to destroy Rick?” Dipper asked. Buddy looked into his cereal bowl and sighed.

“Remember… I’m the coward. It’s hard to admit it, but I gave him up to keep myself alive… I don’t think I could even ponder saying no to that statement.” Buddy said.

Buzz

Dipper raised an eyebrow and looked over to Billeah

Buzz

She shrugged and glanced at his jacket.

“Is that…” Buddy asked. Dipper sprinted to his jacket and pulled out his cellphone. The military grade device was shielded, but with no cell towers or any other networks, it shouldn’t be active.

Portal’s ready in an hour… what’s the plan boss? – F

Dipper quickly hid the phone and looked everywhere. He put his lips to his mouth to stop Buddy from asking questions. He checked everywhere for Rick but he couldn’t be too sure. If Fiddleford somehow survived his attack, the square would be so enraged he would probably turn trapezoid.

Dipper leaned over and quickly typed

Target children, we got one shot – D

I still have the readings from the first accident – F

We’re targeting the kids, that’s final. How are you even here? – D

Backup in your phone. The portal computers allowed it to connect to the Wi-Fi and I copied myself there. I assumed those computers would be compromised as well.

Good thinking – D

I’m only at 1% capacity. Once those computer banks go out… so do I. – F

Dipper sighed and rubbed his temples. He put his finger of his lips and showed Billeah whose eyes grew wide as saucers. Buddy leaned over to look. Dipper jerked the phone away from him, but gave in and let him read the messages. He glowered at Dipper.

“Don’t do this.” Buddy said.

“We can’t do anything anyway.” Dipper pointed out calmly. “You’re still attached to Rick, and you’re a coward, remember?”

“What do you mean?” Buddy stammered. “I quit that… I ran away from him!”

Dipper tapped his forehead.

“Rick still has his string through you… there’s only one way to sever it.” Dipper said. He was satisfied as Buddy’s face paled. “Now you get it?”

Dipper shoved the phone in his pocket.

“Gather what you can, we’re leaving this place in an hour… by my calculations, We can portal to the children, and reprogram the gateway to some other place where we can start over.” Dipper said. He proceeded to pull out pots and pans, cups, plates, and other various cooking utensils. He was up all night making a list. They’d be in a nice wooded area where the seasons were not harsh. They could forage and farm what they need and be a hundred miles away from civilization. With access to a river, they could head to whatever human outposts are still around and maybe bring back others to build his home into a small village.

He thought about how the children would need to be raised. Maybe when DJ got older Billeah’s affections could be turned towards him since they’re closer in age than Dipper was to her. He would render Buddy incapable if he thought of touching Dharma. He’d need to find her a good suitor when she’s older as well.

As he gathered supplies, he came across the box Mabel made for him. A part of him wanted to leave it behind, but he begrudgingly shoved the items into a backpack and set it next to another bag.

Billeah packed all the canned goods she could find. She was going to grab all the water bottles, but Dipper instructed her to only bring enough for two bottles each. They will be next to a river, so water won’t be a problem.

Buddy came in with an armful of tools; an axe, shovel, pick, and anything else Dipper could think of. He loaded them into an oversized duffle bag, set it next to the other bags and nodded.

He silently thanked the Stans for leaving him in the woods. The idea of going back to that life almost excited him. The simplicity would be a welcome relief.

“What about weapons?” Buddy asked. Dipper tossed him another empty duffle bag. He escorted his new companion down to the lab and loaded up all the ammunition, gun cleaning kits and weapons. Billeah tossed down the remaining bags from the service hatch; Dipper deftly caught them with a grunt.

“In the back room, there are some medical text books I bought, and a few others about skinning and survival techniques. Could you bring those too?” Dipper asked. She nodded and ran out of his field of view.

“T-Minus 5 minutes…” the computer rang out.

“HURRY UP!” Dipper shouted up the ladder hatch. A small bag fell to his feet with a loud thud. Dipper breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Billeah climbing down the ladder.

“Buddy, grab the bags and set them near the portal. Once it opens, we start throwing them in. We don’t have much time.” Dipper said. Buddy hefted the various bags near the front of the portal and nodded.

Dipper looked at Billeah and smiled at her when she interlocked her fingers with his.

“You okay?” Dipper asked. She nodded, but he could tell she was breathing heavy. She was almost in a panic. “Hey… it will be over soon.

“T-Minus 3 Minutes till portal activation” the computer rang out.

They waited as the portal exploded and the familiar glow of the event horizon filled their view. Dipper went to double check the settings one last time. They have enough time to grab the kids and Harmony before the portal switches destinations. The site to site jump will overload the system and blow up the shack.

There was a slight pang of regret knowing he would never see his home again, but he was done playing this game.

Dipper moved to the pile of bags and put on his backpack that held the journals and photos of his sister and wife.

T-Minus 2 Minutes. The system said.

“Buddy, you ready?” Dipper asked.

Buddy seemed to jump, he was lost in thought.

“Oh um… yeah… about that.” He said. “I’m sorry… I’m really really sorry. I can’t let you do this.”

“What are you talking about?” Dipper asked.

“Hey Fiddleford guy? Do what we talked about…” Buddy said and pulled out a gun. He levered its barrel to Dipper’s chest and backed away from the portal. “Now… you’re going to get rid of Rick… I’m sorry, but saving those kids are the least of your concerns.”

“Buddy… I swear to god.” Dipper growled.

“Okay Buddy, system’s changed.” Fiddleford’s voice echoed in the speakers. Dipper saw the walls covered in Rick’s grin. Thousands of them smiled.

“Don’t try and talk me out of this Rick!” Buddy shrieked. “Get out of my head!”

“Fiddleford! You change the portal back!” Dipper screamed. Billeah backed away from the portal in horror and stood between Dipper and Buddy who waved the gun back and forth. He fired off a round into one of the squares on the wall.

“Rick! Don’t do anything stupid, I didn’t know Fiddleford survived!” Dipper pleaded. “Just let me get my kids! FIDDLEFORD CHANGE THE PORTAL BACK!”

“T-Minus one minute,” echoed the computer voice.

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!” Buddy screamed and held the gun to his temple. “YOU CAN’T FORCE ME ANYMORE! I AM NOT YOUR PUPPET!”

Dipper saw Buddy’s limp body slump to the floor as the round exited the other side of his head. The blood and brains splattered over a frowning group of squares that tiled the inside of his lab.

T-Minus thirty seconds

“I guess.” Rick said in Dipper’s head. “That this is goodbye. You’re too dangerous to have without a leash.”

Buddy’s stomach began to glow. Dipper felt sick as he watched Buddy collapsed in on himself, like the gravity around him was crushing him. Bones snapped and were pulled in on themselves as the glowing intensified. In only a moment the implosion formed a floating cube that hovered in the middle of the lab. Its pulse quickened with each second that passed.

T-Minus five seconds

Billeah was frozen in horror, as the cube moved forward towards her.

Four…

Billeah ran full speed up the ramp to Dipper. A sense of deja-vu prickled the back of his mind.

Three...

Billeah slammed into him, the force of her impact caused Dipper to stumble backwards.

Two…

He wrapped his arms around her and held her as tight as he could. The world around him slowed as the square detonated. He could see the burning fire expand just as they passed the event horizon

One…

Blackness.

  



	24. Demise

Dipper felt Billeah in his arms and kept his eyes shut. The familiar weightlessness sent butterflies to his stomach. He gently opened his eye and saw the familiar void. He looked down to Billeah who clung onto him. She was breathing heavy and trembling.

“Not here… not here… not here… not here…” she whispered over and over.

“Billeah, get ahold of yourself.” Dipper said and shook her.

She shook her head and buried her face in his chest, she clung to his shirt and refused to let go.

Dipper looked around and saw nothing in the void. He calmed the panic in his chest and focused on Billeah. She was his only chance.

“This is the mindscape.” Dipper said. “Where’s the Bill overmind?”

“No… I won’t go back to that.” She shook her head. “I’m finally normal… I’m with you… please don’t make me go back to that!”

“Look around you! There’s nothing left!” Dipper said. “We need Bill.”

Billeah sobbed into his shirt and shook her head no.

“Please?” Dipper asked fruitlessly, but relented to her crying and held her. He stroked her hair and let her cope with the situation.

They had nothing but time.

OoOoO

Dipper gazed into Billeah’s sleeping face. She refused to let him go even in the slightest. The lack of gravity or direction was welcome, since the position he was in would cause his limbs to go to sleep or cramp.

He looked down to check on her, and was met with her sparkling blue eye.

“How are you feeling?” Dipper asked.

“Not… good.” She admitted and looked around. “It’s always so lonely in here.”

“Can you… see anything? Like, bigger?” Dipper asked.

Billeah shook her head no.

“I can feel him… he’s there… but I won’t let him in. He’s mad.” She whispered. “Or… I’m mad… that’s the way it is right?” She asked. Dipper sighed and nodded. He pulled back a strand of her hair from her face and caressed her cheek. She closed her eye and reveled in his attention when it shot opened.

Billeah held her temples and screamed.

Dipper felt it as well. He spun around to see a massive square approaching like a comet.

“HOW DARE YOU!” Rick bellowed. Dipper felt his body stiffen and was yanked away from the screaming Billeah. “DID YOU THINK THAT WOULD KILL ME? ARE YOU INSANE?”

Dipper’s voice was stuck in his throat. The sheer power this godlike entity had was overwhelming. He could barely think.

“I came as a savior to your world… I brought it order!” He bellowed. “I loved it and cared for it like it was a child and to have it thrown in my face by an ungrateful insect!”

“You never took the time to understand us!” Dipper shouted. “You wanted to mold us and control us! That’s where Bill was different! He watched and let us make mistakes! He protected us and picked us up when we stumbled! He didn’t force us on a path we didn’t want!”

“You are too young to make decisions for yourself… You’ve proven it twice! How many times will you destroy your world before you realize I know what’s best for your fledgling species!” Rick bellowed.

“Why do you even care? What is so important about us that you want to come in and play god with us?” Dipper screamed.

“Play god?” Rick laughed “I don’t play.”

“Why?” Dipper shouted again.

“I am a creator! I shape reality into what I deem fit! There’s no other reason! Once I saw the monstrosity Bill hid from us… actions had to be be taken! How are you going to work with others? Your people are chaos incarnate! Should you come in contact with any of the others… you’ll destroy eons of our work!” Rick said.

“Others?” Dipper asked.

“You’re not so closed minded to think you are the only ones? I’ve personally shaped countless worlds into beautiful… orderly ecosystems that don’t delve into barbarism. The inhabitants are one with their system and spread the same ideals to other worlds that are wrought with disorder and chaos.” Rick said.

“Your kind is beyond hope… I’m going to need to re-create the whole thing. I don’t think humans are going to make it in the re-design.” Rick said simply.

“NO!” Billeah screamed. Dipper couldn’t move

“But first…” he said with an evil looking grin. “I’ll take care of you… personally.”

Dipper struggled as he moved closer to the massive mouth. Rick seemed to grow in size… or he was getting closer, he couldn’t tell. Rick was the size of a skyscraper and opened his maw. Dipper was slowly being drawn into the blackness.

“STOP!” Billeah screamed. Yellow light bathed Rick’s face. His approach halted and he felt a tug behind him. His backpack has unzipped and the items inside were being pulled out.

“It’s over, Bill! You lost!” Rick said; his lips only feet from Dipper. He struggled against the pull of the square.

Dipper looked up and saw a ghostly after image of Pacifica. His heart skipped a beat. She smiled at him and pulled him away from Rick. His massive form shrinking as he was pulled farther and farther away.

He watched in awe as Stan, Stanley, Fiddleford, Robbie, Soos, and Gideon’s ethereal forms rushed forward and spun around Rick, leaving silver strands behind him. The strings wrapped around the giant cube. He struggled to pull them off him and bellowed in protest.

Dipper turned around to see Billeah curled in the fetal position. Superimposed around her was the glowing shape of a triangle that grew larger as he approached.

“Billeah.” He whispered.

Mabel’s pale image beckoned him as Pacifica pulled him closer. The items were hovering around Bill’s glowing image like the picture he looked at. Silver strings connected the items to the after images.

“Stop this!” Rick bellowed. “BILL, YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO ME!”

The ghostly image of the Great Time Baby flew from the ice crystal and joined in. Next to Mabel was Dipper… the real one. He held out his hand to Dipper and pulled him close, giving him a thumbs up and flew off to join the others. Mabel hugged him and kissed his cheek and followed her brother.

“No… don’t go!” Dipper whispered. He felt helpless as all his friends were fighting Rick. He didn’t know what he could do. Pacifica turned his cheek to face her. She smiled at him the way she always did when he was beating himself up over something he shouldn’t.

“Don’t go…” he whispered. She kissed him and flew off with the others. Their continued assault cocooned the massive Rick as he fruitlessly tore away at the strands.

Dipper noticed some of the threads breaking. It wasn’t going to be enough! One of Rick’s hands got free and grabbed Soos. He watched in horror as the ghostly image was shattered from his grip. Fiddleford was the next to be caught. His image and strings vaporized as well.

“What can I do?” Dipper screamed. The golden image didn’t answer him. Robbie’s string disappeared next. Dipper had to do something. He flung himself forward to the catatonic form of Billeah and embraced her. He could feel her power flowing through him and their minds connected.

OoOoO

Dipper was in a grassy field next to a toppled pine tree. He saw Billeah crouched over a children’s table and stared intently at it.

Dipper stood over Billeah playing with blocks on a table. Each block was carved with the symbol of the totems in the shape of a triangle. Robbie, Soos, and Fiddleford’s blocks were on their sides. She looked up and smiled at him, no eye patch obstructed her beautiful blue eyes.

“Oh… you’re here!” She said.  

“Yeah.” Dipper said and sat next to her. “What’cha doing?”

“I’m trying to use these. But it’s hard.” She said, indicating the blocks. “The… other wants to do it himself, but I’m trying to do it. If I let him… I’m scared I’ll disappear… and he’s scared if he doesn’t he’ll disappear.

Dipper looked at the table closely. He saw a black onyx cube in the middle and she moved the wood blocks to encircle the square and another block... Gideon’s was knocked over.

“I don’t know what to do. If I ask… he said he will take over.” Billeah said with worry in her voice. Dipper reached out and turned a block over upright. Billeah smiled. “That makes sense.”

When Dipper moved the next block, he thought of Fiddleford, and a flood of memories erupted in his mind.

“That string is really strong now… how did you do that?” She asked.

“I remember when I first met Fiddleford… we were on a fishing trip with Stan. I thought he was weird, but I liked him. He turned out to be one of my best friends over the years… even though he was a computer ghost for most of them.” Dipper said and set down the glasses in an upright position.

“Poor Robbie…” Dipper said and flipped over his heart shaped totem. “He liked Wendy as much as me. I’m sure if I didn’t meddle as I did earlier, they would have ended up together. We may have fought when I was younger, but I respected and admired him a lot… but I never had the chance to say it to him.”

Dipper righted the newly topped icebag token.

“I always thought this was Wendy.” He chuckled. “I wish I knew the Time Baby better. Blendin was a great friend, and I know the world GTB created may have been hard, but he did something right to allow someone like Blendin to be born. A thousand years from now… the world may need him to lead them out of whatever darkness they travel down.”  

As Dipper up righted the icebag totem, Gideon’s token fell again. Dipper held it in his hand for a moment.

“Gideon… I always saw him as my greatest enemy. The callous distrust and hate I felt for him all these years… I wish I could have said I was sorry. He protected Mabel when I wasn’t there. I wish I had been able to call him what he really is… brother.” Dipper set the token down.

Billeah wrapped her arms around Dipper, as he picked up the question mark token.

“Soos… I miss you.” Dipper said holding the question mark. “Always good for a laugh, but knew more than he let on. He was the older brother I always wanted and more.”

Dipper set the piece down

“Rick is very angry right now.” Billeah giggled. Dipper picked up another fallen piece.

“Grunkle Grandpa Stanford.” He chuckled. “If it wasn’t for him… I wouldn’t be the man I am today. Always pushed me to make me better. Even when Stanley was hard on me, he always had a kind smile to help me through whatever I was going through. I never did apologize to him for shunning him after the accident. But… he probably already knew I was.”

Dipper set the piece down and picked up the six fingered icon.

“Stanley… the mysterious author. I stayed up countless nights pouring over the accumulation of his life. I had so many fantasies about who he is and what he was. Gruff… direct… and willing to tell me what I need instead of what I want.”

He placed Stanley’s token down. Dipper picked up the fallen pine tree token.  He looked at the log behind him and closed his eye. When he opened it, the massive tree was righted. Billeah gave him an ear to ear smile.

“The real Dipper never had a chance.” He said. “I unknowingly took it all away from him. I spent the rest of my life with my sister taking care of an abomination that was created by my careless hand.” Dipper’s voice cracked. “I always wanted a brother, and I got that for a day when I made the Dipper clones. I always wondered what a real one would be like. Even though I didn’t know him… I know myself and I know he would do anything to protect the ones he loves.”

Dipper set the newly righted pine tree down.

The lama and the shooting star fell over.

“Pacifica…” he said to the block he gingerly held. “Few words can say what you mean to me.” Wordlessly he poured everything about his life and love for his departed wife and set the block face up.  

“Mabel… my other half.” Dipper said. “You greeted everything with a smile. You were the light to my darkness. No matter how far I fell, you led me back. You always trusted me… now I’ll trust you.”

Dipper set Mabel’s token down. His head felt like it would split open and he blacked out.

OoOoO

“Dipper? Dipper wake up!” Mabel said and shook him. “The girls are going to come over to watch the big party at Northwest Manor on TV! Want to watch it with us?”

Dipper sat up, the familiar journal stuck to his face. Mabel giggled at his expression.

“What? What’s going on? Rick?” Dipper asked.

“Rick who?” Mabel giggled again. Dipper blinked. He rubbed his left eye. He could see out of it! The burns, the scars were gone!

“What’s going on? Where is Billeah?” Dipper said and rushed to the bathroom. He was 12 again! “Billeah!”

“Brobro? What’s going on?” Mabel asked with a look of worry.

“Our cousin? Billeah? Where is she?” Dipper asked. Her face said it all, she didn’t know who he was talking about.

“No, no, no… what’s going on?” Dipper said.

“Sir Dippingsauce. You fell asleep reading that stupid journal of yours.” Mabel said and booped his nose. “I think you just had a bad dream.”

The journal…

Dipper flipped to the page of Bill Cypher. It was there… along with his notes of how to summon him.

“I know I don’t need this crap, Bill! Show yourself!” Dipper screamed.

“What are… you… talk…ing…ab.” Mabel said and her words slowed to a halt. The color of the familiar room faded to black and white. Dipper spun around to a grinning Bill Cypher, top hat and all.

“What’s the problem?” Bill said. “I fixed everything!”

“What do you mean?” Dipper looked around in a panic. “I… I’m 12 again! I don’t want to go through puberty again! That was terrible! And what about Rick?”

“Oh… he’s somewhere safe.” Bill chuckled.

“You didn’t put him back with GTB did you?” Dipper asked in horror.

“Oh GTB and I discussed it. He’s still asleep till his apocalypse is scheduled, but Rick is in-between places right now… The other guys are going to have a blast looking for him!”

“Okay… talk to me like I’m not an omniscient being… You need to go in order of events.”

“Oh, pine tree… you’re so difficult!” Bill lamented. “You saved me, okay? You helped me trap Rick in my strings. Rick and I were evenly matched, but your added willpower gave me what I needed to push him over the edge.”

“That table with you? That seemed like a child’s game.” Dipper said.

“You think I’d let you see the actual cosmic fight between two multi-dimensional beings? I had to simplify the rules for you to comprehend or your brain would melt out of your ears!”

“Okay… what about all this?” Dipper indicated the room.

“What? As a thank you, I fixed it all without a pact… No seal meant I had no restrictions. Once I made this though, standard rules apply.”

“What do you mean?” Dipper asked.

“You’re thick headed for experiencing something of the magnitude you’ve witnessed.” Bill said.

“Wait… I think I get it… You use the seal to limit your powers here? On purpose?” Dipper said.

“Bingo!” Bill said. “You saw what kind of havoc someone can wreak unchecked around here… and well, you know me better than well… anyone actually. You think if I had all my powers to play with I’d have the self-control not to meddle?”

“So… when I destroyed the universe in the first place… you could have done whatever. Why did you even make a deal with me?” Dipper asked.

“Again with the thick head.” Bill chuckled. “I was bored. I needed a change of scenery.”

Dipper chuckled.

“I know you better than that.” Dipper said and sat down. “You were lonely.”

Bill’s normally rigid shape drooped like a wet nacho.

“Did you… replace me with another Dipper?” he asked. Bill turned away from him. “Bill?”

“Pinetree... this is your second… no, third chance.” Bill said franticly. Dipper stood up and put his hand on Bill’s side and turned him to face Dipper.

“No… we’re not doing that again.” Dipper said.

“But… There can’t be two of you.” Bill said.

“We’re going to let him try… on his own. I won’t do that again.” Dipper said. Bill sighed and waved his cane. Another Dipper came into existence.

“Who... what? OH my god, what’s going on? Bill Cypher! Why are you tormenting me? Why is there another me? Is it an evil me? OH MY GOD IT’S AN EVIL DIPPER!” the new Dipper screamed and ran in a circle.

“Was I always this excitable?” Dipper asked.

“Pretty funny, isn’t it?” Bill chuckled and snapped his fingers. The new Dipper levitated, his feet running through the air, going nowhere. He realized his efforts were in vain and his demeanor changed from terror to annoyance.

“Oh, ha ha… very funny!” the new Dipper said.

“Hey, Bill didn’t mean anything by it.” Dipper said. He stood next to himself and grinned. “I need you to listen… I know this is a weird dream, but we both know when the Dorito’s around…”

“Hey!” Bill interrupted indignantly.

“… we know things happen. Listen to me. You need to trust Mabel. She’s your guiding light. Even when every ounce of your being says not to… close your eyes and trust her.”

“That… sounds ominous.” new Dipper said.

“It’s supposed to be… oh, give Pacifica a call too.” Dipper chuckled. The scrunched look of disdain on new Dipper’s face made him smile.

“What? No! She’s the worst! I swear I’ll tell her that to her face!” new Dipper said in disgust.

Dipper and Bill looked at each other and erupted in laughter.

“NO! I’m serious! I’ll slap her with a trout first chance I get!” new Dipper said.

“It’s time to wake up,” Dipper said and gave his counterpart a hug.

“This is awkward.” new Dipper said and patted him twice on the back.

“Pat pat.” Dipper said and let him go.

Dipper stepped back and stood next to Bill as the room and the Shack faded into darkness.

 

 


	25. Emersus

Date: unknown

Dipper stared at the star filled expanse. He could see the flow of the universe around him. Tiny lights eddied and washed across each other in a chaotic frothy sea foam.

“What… is this place?” Dipper asked.

“This… is the mindscape. Each point of light is an experience.”

“A soul?” Dipper asked.

“Meh… experience is better way to put it. Each living entity is a sphere unto itself. Bumping and moving across this vast endless expanse.” Bill reached out and held a single point of light in his hand. Dipper leaned close and saw it froth and bubble. It divided and filled his hand and overflowed.

“With each choice he made, he duplicated its sphere of experience until the versions of him were uncountable. The same goes for its parents, and its parents, and so forth.

Dipper’s vision was filled with the frothing bubbling stars.

“This is the universe?” He said in awe.

“Oh dear boy… this is Gravity Falls! I wanted to start you off small.” Bill chuckled.

“Start me small?” Dipper asked.

“Well… you won’t take anyone’s place… so I thought I’d let you make your own place to live.”

“What… happened to everyone… from before? Mabel, Pacifica, DJ, Dharma… Billeah.” Dipper asked. Bill looked away at the mention of her.

“They… are no longer here.” Bill said solemnly.

“What? They’re destroyed?” Dipper shouted.

“NO! No, no! You can’t destroy energy… only reform it.” Bill said. “And… since they were totems… here… let me show you.”

Bill waved his hand and the experiences of Gravity Falls were wiped away. He was in empty space with twelve lights in a pattern.

“These are the experiences of the totems who fought Rick… They did a good job… Normally, I’d put them back into the experiences of others… but…” Bill almost looked longingly at them.

“They’re special.” Dipper finished his thought. Bill nodded.

“I couldn’t do it. I… I couldn’t lose them.” Bill said. Dipper looked over and the Triangle form was gone. Billeah looked up at him with a smile.

“She… I… Billeah’s form was offered a place in the middle. The endless field with her pine tree. She refused and joined back with me.” Billeah reached up and took one of the spheres. She held it out to Dipper. He took it in his hands and could see into it.

“MOM! DAD! WE’RE GOING TO BE LATE!” DJ and Dharma screamed. Pacifica hefted herself up with a swollen stomach. Dipper pulled her up and gave her a kiss. He was covered in scars and had his eye patch.         

“I’m going to kill you for knocking me up with another set of these monsters.” Pacifica growled and grabbed her purse. She followed Dipper out the door with the kids trailing behind.

“Bye Grandpa!” Dharma said. Preston walked by and waved at them.

Dipper put the tiny speck of light back in its place and picked up his own. The image mirrored the events but from Dipper’s point of view.

“They all chose to be together.” Billeah said. I could give them any world they wanted… but this is what they desired… There was no Tyrone… no Rick… no… Billeah. Just the normal weirdness of Gravity Falls. Gideon came back and you two are slowly working out your differences. Wendy left Lee and is now dating Robbie…”

“There are no bubbles.” Dipper noticed.

“There’s not going to be… their choices and actions are their own. There’s no alternates, no variables. Slowly they will dim and extinguish, their experience fulfilled and rejoin the rest.

“What about DJ and Dharma? Why don’t they get a light?” Dipper asked. “Or Preston? Or Wendy?”

“It’s not like that…” Billeah smiled. “They are reflections on the pond. DJ and Dharma are in the pool with the others, living exactly the same events as shown here… but… as you saw with Dipper… a new one and an old one can’t be in the same place.”

Dipper’s mind tried hard to comprehend what she was saying... He didn’t feel angry or scared for what he saw. They slowly orbited in the positions of the seal.  

He took Mabel’s orb and looked at her. She was busy working on some project in her own apartment. She looked up as someone knocked on her door. She rushed to open it and saw Gideon holding a bouquet of flowers and looking nervous. He chuckled as Mabel slammed the door in his face. She waited a moment, opened the door to the confused man, snatched the flowers from his hand and slammed it again. She leaned up against the door and smelled the flowers. A warm smile crept across her face.

“Is this what it’s like for you?” Dipper asked and put the orb back. He felt Billeah wrap her arms around him.

“Yes… I watch and see your greatest achievements and failures… but that’s not what’s interesting.”

“What is interesting?” Dipper asked, intertwining his fingers with hers.

“These little moments… the moments people don’t think matter. A callous act… or an unseen gesture of kindness. The others don’t understand like I do.”

“I don’t think you understand like you think you do.” Dipper said. “That’s why you wanted to live it.”

“Guilty.” Billeah whispered. Dipper turned around and stared at Bill in his triangle shape. He still held his hand.

“Why don’t you drop the masks?” Dipper said. “I don’t care what shape you are.”

Bill looked to the side nervously.

“What about the Llama?” He asked.

“You know I love her, but she’s happy and with me. I can watch over her and shelter all of them. I am their pine tree.” Dipper said. Bill’s shape fell away and a golden form of energy stood before him. “I also made a promise… that I’ll shelter you too.”

He embraced the glowing entity and felt himself fade away into the yellow light.

The glowing ball of light that was the essence of Bill and Dipper moved to the center of the orbiting stars.

OoOoO

The grassy plain always felt like home. Dipper sat under his pine tree holding Billeah. His scars were gone. Billeah caressed his face; two blue eyes stared up at him.

“What does this mean?” Dipper asked, looking at his flawless hand. He noticed a gold band on it. Billeah placed her hand in his, and it had a matching band.  

“We’re one… I gave you all of my being… and you gave me all of you.” Billeah chuckled.

“So… I’m part of you now? I feel like myself still.” Dipper said.

“It’s complicated. It will take some time for your tiny human mind to comprehend. When you do… I’ll introduce you to my family.” She said.

“There’s more of you?” Dipper asked with a chuckle.

“The multi-verse is a big place… I hid this one away for myself. Eventually they’re going to ask me where I put Rick… and well… I figured that’d be a good time to introduce you to Mom and Dad.

“Rick was your brother?” Dipper stammered.

“Something like that.” She said coyly.

“You know… we can take on any form we want.” She whispered.

“I know… I just like this one.” Dipper said. He pulled her to him and kissed her.

“You humans and your physical contact.” She chided, pulling away from him.

“I seem to remember someone begging for contact.” Dipper said and rolled her over.

“Oh, Pine Tree…”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note:
> 
> So… Emersus means to rise out of the sea. I figured Dipper’s ascension to a higher being would truly represent this word. Originally, I was going to have Bill place him back in the portal room and have Dipper choose to trust Mabel and follow up with the events of the show… but I think doing that would have threw away all the hard work and sacrifice Dipper went through to have him grow as a person.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this. I want to hear your thought, comments, arguments, and this AU is open for stories! If you’re feeling up to using Dipper and Billeah, be my guest! I would love to read some slice of life adventures or crazy journal mysteries! Just let me know so I can read them!
> 
>  
> 
> In other news…. the webcomic is going strong, we’ve wrapped up chapter 1 and I’ve scripted chapter 2 already! Cypher is working hard and I think her so much for all her efforts to visualize the events I wrote about.
> 
> I am re-editing this story as well. My goal is to have a professional looking novel ready for my readers where you can download an epub or pdf to read on any device you have. If there are any gramar nazies and tense police who want to endure a re-write with me, PM me and we can talk! I will be adding more chapters to Reboot and try to bump the word count from 3-5k a chapter to roughly 10k and give it meat.
> 
> I want to thank you all again. I’m excited my project finished just in time for the show to start next week. I want to see how many of my theories I’ve incorporated into the story are true (Already confirmed the names of the Stans were correct. I still believe Grunkle Stan is Dipper and Mabel’s grandfather) I will be continuing to add more to Billeah’s Secret Files… who can resist the creepy girl’s twisted fan-fictions? I have all of your requests written down and I will try to get them written as soon as I can.
> 
> Thank you all again
> 
> and remember!
> 
> The reality is an illusion
> 
>  
> 
> Buy Gold!

**Author's Note:**

> If you have any questions, please comment them! I'd be more than happy to answer them!


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